What's For You Won't Pass You By, Story 1
by April D. Wade
Summary: What happens when Lucas Buck crosses paths with a woman who is as innocent as he is corrupt; especially when it seems that she's the one person who is able to reach that part of Lucas that he and everyone else though to be non existent; his heart and soul. *This story is the first in a chronological series that takes place after the end of the series and Gail's suicide.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

There was no breeze, wind or even the slightest rustling of the leaves on the trees that were lined up and down the street in front of the Fulton County Sheriff's Office in Trinity, South Carolina. The only thing that could be felt was the searing heat that had, once again, invaded the Carolina's during the month of August. Yet, despite the heat and the stillness that it brought, standing in front of the large picture window in the outer office of the building was Sheriff Lucas Buck, seeming completely unaffected by the heat. As usual he was clad from head to toe in black, including long sleeves, however, he seemed totally unaffected, especially given the fact that he didn't even seem to be breaking a sweat, despite the searing temperature.

Ben Healy, Lucas' deputy, sat behind his desk trying every method imaginable to find some small amount of coolness in the air. Glancing at his boss, Ben began shaking his head in disbelief as he fanned himself with the folder full of recently completed reports as he demanded;

"Lucas, I don't see how you can stand there wearing long sleeves without even breaking a sweat, it's not but 10:00 am and it's already ninety five degrees. I'm sitting here in short sleeves with the air conditioning and fans going full blast and I'm STILL burning up."

Lucas turned from the window with a devil may care grin on his handsome face;

"Why Ben, I'd of thought you'd have figured out by now that heat doesn't bother me at all."

With that Lucas emitted a short laugh before turning his attention back to whatever he was so focused on outside of the window. Ben shuddered inwardly, he had worked for Lucas Buck for, what seemed to him, an eternity, even back to the days when Lucas was a deputy himself. Although Lucas said things that were supposed to be in jest, they still never ceased to chill him; it wasn't so much WHAT Lucas said as much as HOW he said it that Ben seemed to find so disturbing.

After about ten or so minutes of silence, Lucas turned to Ben and ordered in a quiet voice;

"Ben, come here a second, I want you to see something."

Vacating his chair, Ben crossed the space between his desk and the window as he wondered what on earth Lucas was up to now. That was another aspect of his association with Lucas that disturbed Ben, the fact that occurrences just always seemed to 'happen' and Lucas just always seemed to be at the center. Stepping up to the window, Ben demanded;

"What did you want me to see, Lucas? WHOA, is she for real?!"

Ben was following Lucas' gaze to a vehicle parked across the street in front of a vacant office where a rather young looking woman was struggling to remove a box, which looked a lot heavier then she had any right to be lifting. Lucas chuckled;

"Oh, just wait, you ain't seen nothing yet, Ben."

Sure enough Lucas was right, the woman turned in their direction and Ben could only stare at the glimpse he caught of her face. Even from a distance, Ben could see how beautiful the girl was, she had her hair in a pony tail and was wearing a ball cap, but even under the cap he could see how angelic her face looked. He couldn't help himself from absently wondering about the color of her hair and eyes as he realized that she was evenly built, not voluptuous like Selena Coombs, or even with an air of self assuredness that Gail Emory had always emanated. THIS girl, to put it quite simply reminded Ben of what an angel would look like. She wasn't by any means what could be considered as tall, but her legs were nicely shaped, a fact made obvious by the shorts that she was wearing. Through the t-shirt she was wearing he could see that she had a nice figure without being overly endowed, like Selena. After having made his assessment of the girl who seemed to have captured Lucas' full attention, Ben turned towards his boss in suspicion as he thought carefully of the best way to ask what was on his mind.

"Lucas, I can see where you would think that she's attractive, but I have to ask you, why? I mean she doesn't seem your usual type, she isn't anything like Selena, Gail or Sabbath."

Ben found himself sorry the minute that he mentioned Gail's name. The fact was that Gail Emory had been a very taboo subject with Lucas ever since her suicide. Ben was certain that their had been something between Lucas and Gail that only they knew that had finally pushed Gail over the edge, but what that something was he had no idea. Hell, Lucas had intended to marry Sabbath, but

talking about her had never seemed to bother him, not like just the mention of Gail's name did.

Lucas turned an icy glare on Ben as he asked menacingly;

"Is there anything else that you'd like to ask me about, Ben?"

Ben, seeing the underlying rage on Lucas' face, took a step backwards as he held his hands up in a pleading manner;

"No Lucas, I was just curious that's all. I didn't mean any offense. Hell, it ain't hard to see why you'd be interested in her. I'd try if I even thought that I stood half a chance."

Satisfied with Ben's answer, Lucas' anger was replaced by mirth as he chuckled at the thought before shaking his head;

"Well, you don't Ben, so you just keep focusing your attention on Nurse Rita. I think I'll go on over and offer to help the little lady, it looks like she needs a hand. Besides, I have to do my duty as sheriff and introduce myself to the newest resident of Trinity."

With that, he opened the door and made his way across the street, leaving Ben to wonder just what Lucas had in store for the girl. He knew that, when it came to women, Lucas always seemed to get his way, but Ben suspected that, somehow, this lady was about to give Lucas a run for his money.

After several frustrating attempts to remove the large box from the trunk of her car, Dara Chambers had finally reached her patience end. Snatching the ball cap from her head she threw it to the ground as she swore;

"Damn it to Hell, I was able to get it in there so I should be able to get it out."

"Oh, I wouldn't send it to Hell if I were you ma'am."

Shocked, Dara turned in the direction of the deep, seductive, masculine voice. She had been so preoccupied with trying to remove the box from the trunk of her car that she had failed to notice the man's approach, if she had, she never would have threw the ball cap on the ground. She had chosen to wear the cap because she had too much work to do to worry about fixing her hair, not to mention the realization that, with the heat and humidity, she knew that the ball cap was the only way to keep her hair out of her way as well as preventing it from curling in every direction.

Lucas, having retrieved the cap from the ground, held it out to her as he found himself staring at her in disbelief. He knew that she would be attractive as he had watched her from the window, but when she turned to face him and without the cap covering her hair he found himself dumbfounded and shocked, having been unprepared for what he now saw up close. He knew that her hair was a dark auburn color from the glimpses he caught of the hair falling down her back from her pony tail, but without the cap he could now see that it could only be described as the color of dark, burnt rubies, with the sun behind her he realized that there were traces of reddish gold shining through the curling strands. Her eyes were another shock; he knew that she would have pretty eyes but this was something else; they shone a deep green color. As he now found himself staring into them, he couldn't help but compare their color to that of the green that could be found in the deepest and clearest oceans.

Lucas found himself needing to take a moment to gather his bearings; he had seen a lot of beautiful women in his day, hell, he'd had most of them. But this woman was definitely different from all of the other's not even Gail had possessed the qualities that this woman did, she exuded a sense of purpose which seemed to give her a strong air of self confidence. Yet, at the same time, Lucas could sense a vulnerability about the girl, with that added trait she seemed more of a girl than a woman, but the two combined made for a most beguiling effect. He could only imagine how she would strike the rest of the male population in Trinity, if she struck him THIS strongly, especially considering the defenses that he possessed as a result of his breeding thanks to centuries of Buck men developing resistance to the effect a beautiful woman might have over an ordinary male.

Lucas fell back on the formality of his position as he extended his hand;

"Sorry to startle you ma'am, I'm Sheriff Lucas Buck, that's Buck with a B."

Dara found herself trying desperately hard to recover from her own shock of Lucas' sudden appearance. When she had heard the strong, seductively masculine voice, she knew that she would turn to find a handsome man, but Sheriff Buck was more that what her expectations were able to consider. The first thing that struck her was his height; he was tall, much taller than she was, she had to look up just to meet his eyes, which were seductively dark and penetrating. He had a handsome face that was framed by dark, wavy hair which was not out of place by even one tiny strand. Despite the extreme heat of the day she couldn't help but be amazed by the fact that he was clad from head to foot in black, including a long sleeved shirt. She found herself almost sighing at the sight of the man but recovered herself quickly as she silently questioned; '_what on earth is the matter with me? I've never behaved this way about ANY man.' _

Bringing her thoughts and feelings into full rein, she offered a slight smile before offering her own introduction;

"Hi, I'm Dara Chambers. This is just a friendly and social visit, right? I mean, I haven't really been here long enough to even think about breaking any laws so I'm not in any trouble, am I?"

Lucas couldn't help but grin at her statement as he quickly realized that she definitely had a good sense of humor as well as grit and determination. However, he couldn't deny the relief he felt as she extended her hand although he couldn't help but find himself amazed as he took her small hand in his much larger one by the fact that, as with the rest of her, just how petite she truly was. Aside from her stature, Lucas also realized as he held her hand that there was something truly compelling about her, especially given the energy that he could feel flowing between them as they made contact. '_My God,' _he thought; '_I never felt this much energy with any of the others.' _After a few moments Lucas shook her hand before releasing it.

To Dara, it felt like an eternity before he released her hand. Like Lucas, Dara too had felt the flow of energy between them, however, unlike Lucas, she quickly dismissed the feeling.

Noticing the underlying current of discomfort in the girl, Lucas quickly assumed his 'good ole boy' demeanor as he offered;

"No ma'am, I'm just here to welcome you to town and to offer you my help. I happen to notice that you seemed to be struggling to get things moved in and with nothing much happening at the office I thought that I'd come and offer you my services," pausing for a moment his voice took on a tone of silky seduction as he ventured; "that is if you feel that you could use them."

Dara couldn't quite understand exactly why, but the last of his statement sounded to her like some sort of an invitation. However, to what, she wasn't quite sure and she wasn't exactly sure that she wanted to find out either. There was no doubt that the man was charming as well as gorgeous, but she wasn't in the habit of falling into bed with every attractive man that she met. Something told her that she would definitely have to be very careful where this man was concerned; although he seemed kind enough she could still sense something very dark and foreboding lying just under the surface, she considered that might be a contributing factor in his charm. She couldn't deny that he was most definitely handsome and charming as well as, despite her own inexperience, she couldn't help but realize his interest in her, however, she had much more important things taking place in her life at the moment and the more focused she stayed in the here and now the better it would be, at least until she could see her way clear to consider planning for her tomorrows and her future.

Lucas could sense that he had ventured one step too far with his last comment. The last thing that he wanted to do was to scare her away, although he couldn't understand why he was concerned about it. Ben had definitely been right about the fact that she wasn't the usual type of woman for him. However, something deep inside kept insisting that, somewhere down the road, this woman was going to play a very important part in his life. He wasn't sure how or why, but he definitely couldn't seem to shake that feeling. Finally, deciding to take on the role of the good Samaritan, Lucas motioned to the box;

"Here, let me get that for you, it won't take me but a minute."

Before she could protest, Lucas had effortlessly done what she herself has struggled with earlier as he lifted the box from the trunk and, seeing no other boxes, used his bent elbow to close the trunk lid as he asked;

"Where would you like me to put this?"

Leading the way inside the office, Dara motioned to an empty space on the desk. Once Lucas had set the box down he turned and surveyed the space, trying to glean any signs of what her profession was. Not finding anything that offered any clues, Lucas finally asked;

"If you don't mind my asking you ma'am, what are you planning on opening here? I mean I know it's got to be an office of some sort, but I have to be honest with you, we have more lawyers and accountants in Trinity then even Hell would be willing to put up with."

Dara couldn't help but give him a strange look as she wondered; '_now why on earth would he put it like THAT?'_Deciding to just chalk it up to his sense of humor she explained;

"Well, since you seem to have two of the leading causes of it, how about an office for a grief counselor?"

Lucas turned and found himself studying her eyes again, those eyes, if he weren't careful he realized that he could easily find himself lost in their depths, but what was the point of that? Considering her revelation, he found himself nodding;

"Now you know, that is original and come to think about it, you know we could use a grief counselor here, as a matter of fact, I may have your first patient."

Dara cast him a look of apprehension;

"I appreciate the kindness that you intend Sheriff, but I am not in need of either your charity or your pity."

Lucas wasn't certain what nerve he had hit with his statement, but he knew that he had most definitely hit one. Not only had her tone of voice gone from a friendly to decidedly clipped but her eyes had also gone from a warm and inviting sea of green to a ice chilled ocean of gray. Trying to put her at ease once more he held up his hands in an apologetic manner as he rushed to assure her;

"I meant no offense, it's just that my son, Caleb, has suffered quite a bit in the last year or two. He's lost his mother, stepfather, sister and cousin. I just thought that you might be just the person to help him work his way through it, that's all."

Feeling deeply ashamed of herself for suspecting his motives, Dara sighed in self recrimination as she lifted her eyes up to his before offering;

"I apologize, Sheriff, it's just that, I suppose, I've been taken for a fool for so long that I'm overly suspicious. But yes, I will be very glad to try to help, Caleb, is it?" at his nod of agreement, Dara continued; "You've been very kind to me and I do thank you." Her face brightening a bit she suggested; "I tell you what, how about this? Let Caleb come over next week to help me unpack and I'll see him for free, that way we get to know each other in a relaxed setting and he might be more inclined to open up to me. Is that okay?"

Lucas couldn't help but study her more closely for a moment as he realized that there was most definitely something different about her from the other women he had known. She possessed compassion and wasn't afraid to let that side of herself show, and while he tended to scoff at the trait in others he couldn't help but find it to be an endearing and attractive quality in this woman. Seeking to divert his thoughts, Lucas glanced at his watch and realized that it was lunch time, turning to Dara he ventured;

"Tell you what; it's lunch time, how about letting me take you to get a bite to eat. I saw this office before you started and I can tell that you've really worked at it this morning. You deserve a break, come on."

Lucas held out his hand in expectation but she simply shook her head;

"I'm sorry, but now that these things are out of the way, I really want to finish up with the unpacking at my house so that I can be ready to start working here on Monday. But thank you for the offer anyway, Sheriff, I truly do appreciate it."

He couldn't help but look slightly taken aback, even Gail had finally given in to him and she had been utterly resistant. This ball game was definitely a new one for him, he was the one accustomed to doing the denying and disappointing, not being the one denied and dissapointed. Deciding to play it off, Lucas offered her a charming smile;

"No problem, Ms. Chambers, but we aren't much for formality around here so please, call me Lucas. Besides, we're just across the street from each other so I'm sure that we'll have a chance some other time to have lunch together in the future. I'll send Caleb over here, say, Monday afternoon."

Dara nodded her agreement as she offered him her own charming smile;

"That will be fine. Since we're avoiding formality, please, call me Dara. I do need to get going now, but thank you again for your help, Sheriff.. I mean, Lucas."

With that she grabbed her keys from her desk and waited for him to precede her out the door so that she could make sure it was locked and secured. Lucas escorted her to her vehicle and covertly studied it, realizing, once more, that there was truly something definitely different about this lady, even to her taste in cars. Gail, Selena and even Sabbath all tended to gravitate to vehicles that were fast and sassy left no assumptions to the contrary. However, just as with the woman herself, Dara's Grand Prix delivered a very different message. Although he knew it definitely had the speed part covered, much like its owner, it seemed pretty tame and ordinary until you really got up close and took a more careful look.

Shaking his head in thinly veiled amusement as he opened the driver's side door for her, Lucas extended his hand, however, this time when she offered her own, he bent over it to place a light kiss upon the back of her hand. _'Well, well,' _he thought; _'even though she's been working in this heat she still smells like fresh rain and roses.' _

Dara pulled her hand from Lucas' grasp as she got into her car and allowed him to push her door closed.

"Thank you for your help again, I do appreciate it. And yes, go ahead and send Caleb over here Monday afternoon. I plan on having my house completed this weekend so that way I will be able to focus here, but prepare him for emptying boxes, okay?"

Lucas couldn't help but smile down into her upturned face, he couldn't help but compare her to some type of nymph or fairy as the smile on her face was touching her eyes. Nodding he agreed;

"You bet, you drive carefully and if there's anything at all that you need or that I can do for you, you feel free to call me. Even if I'm out of the office my deputy, Ben, will know how to get a hold of me."

Fastening her safety belt before turning the key in the ignition, Dara gave a small wave as she pulled away from the curb and headed away from town. Lucas watched after her for a moment before speculating aloud;

"River direction, huh? Guess I'm going to have to get Ben to check that out for me. I definitely need to know more about that young lady."

Lucas turned and began whistling a tune as he headed back in the direction of his office. As he walked through the doorway, Ben couldn't help but look up in amazement, having rarely seen this happy side of his boss he had to ask;

"Guess you hit the jackpot with her, huh, Lucas?"

Ben thought that he had lost his mind when Lucas responded with a genuinely happy grin;

"Nope, she shot me down at every turn, Ben."

Staring at him with his mouth opened wide in shock, Ben demanded;

"Well what the hell are you looking so happy about it then for, Lucas?"

Considering for a moment, Lucas turned to him with the most thoughtful expression that Ben could ever recall seeing on his boss's face as he offered;

"Because, Ben, I do believe that girl is the most unique creature that I have ever had the pleasure of encountering. And something tells me that she is about to rip through here like a tornado, without even so much as raising her voice."

With that, Lucas turned and walked out the office door to get into his car. Ben considered the man's statement for a moment before a wide grin broke on his face as he speculated aloud;

"Looks like Lucas may have just gotten himself caught up in a whirlwind that he's not going to be able to get out of so easily."

Driving down Route 10 just a little outside of Trinity's city limits, Dara found herself contemplating her earlier meeting with Lucas as she paid attention to the road in front of her. Thinking aloud she speculated;

"I don't know what, but there is definitely something more to that man than what he has on the surface."

Bringing her car to a halt in front of her house, she killed the ignition as she glanced at her wrist watch before sighing with relief;

"Good, I'm earlier then what I told Mrs. Adams I would be."

It had been difficult enough to find someone who, was not only reliable, but also would satisfy her personal requirements when it came to caring for her mother. After her mother's last hospital stay, she quickly realized that working from her home was no longer a viable option. However, given how quickly the medical bills were piling up, taking any type of hiatus from her work was also out of the question. Aside from the financial aspect of the situation there was also the continuous interference from her brother, Seth, that she was forced to consider. Given all of the factors involved and after several in depth conversations with her mother, Gwenna, and the physicians overseeing her mother's care, as well as doing some thorough investigating in the areas of economy and real estate, Dara had chosen Trinity, South Carolina.

Having learned that Fulton County General offered excellent medical care for her mother's condition as well as the extremely reasonable cost of living that Trinity offered, not to mention the hospital's interest in offering her a contract as a grief counselor, Dara eagerly seized the opportunity and made the necessary arrangements. Selling their old house, her mother insisted that she use the proceeds to fund the move as well as placing the decision regarding buying a new home in Dara's more than capable hands. She could remember the stern admonishment that she had received from her mother just before her weekend trip to scout the houses for sale in the area;

"I want you to do me a favor, Little One, I want you to pick a house that YOU like and would be happy living in. Not only that, but I want you to put the house in YOUR name."

Dara shook her head as she recalled just how blessed she had been on her initial trip to Trinity. Not only had she found a house that she fell in love with, but she had also found Mrs. Ellen Adams, a reliable caregiver to see to her mother's care, allowing Dara the opportunity to, not only work at the hospital, but to also open an office for private practice. Thankfully the sale of the old house had seen more than enough profit to pay for the move, purchase the new house and even see to the improvements that she had deemed necessary as well as paying for the first six month's rent on her private office, with enough left to bolster the balance of her saving's account to ensure that her mother would lack for nothing.

Shaking herself from her reveries she grabbed her purse before opening the driver's side door as she exited the vehicle. Climbing the front steps to the porch she glanced in the direction of the kitchen door and noticed the small patio table set as Mrs. Adams opened the kitchen door and stepped onto the porch, carrying a plate and glass of iced tea. Studying the woman, she couldn't help but compare her, once more, to an older version of her mother. The only differences between the two women, in Dara's opinion, was the fact that Mrs. Adam's hair was a silvery gray color while Gwenna's own hair was a faded shade of her daughter's own dark auburn locks. This, along with the difference between the sky blue shade of Ellen Adam's eyes as compared to the emerald green hue of Gwenna's, were the only differences between the two women that Dara really seemed to notice. Offering the elder woman a sincere smile, Dara motioned to the plate;

"Hi, Mrs. Adams, what's with the change of venue?"

Setting the plate and glass on the small table as she took one of the two chairs, Ellen Adams turned to the young woman that she had quickly developed a fondness for before considering. Although she had never particularly cared for the company of the younger generation, having found many to be flighty and irresponsible, she couldn't help but find herself liking Dara Chambers from the moment she first spoke with her. That fondness had grown even more when she had learned of the heavy weight that Dara shouldered when it came to the responsibility she gladly bore for her mother's care and welfare. Motioning to the opposite chair she issued;

"Well with the boxes and so forth inside, I thought that you might like a change of scenery, at least while you enjoyed your lunch. Now, you sit down and eat every bite of what's on that plate, young lady."

Laughing, Dara agreed;

"Alright, Mrs. Adams, I promise."

Sensing that there was something more than just consideration of her comfort as the source for the woman's motivation, Dara tilted her head slightly as she speculated;

"There's something else to this, isn't there, Mrs. Adams? This isn't just because you wanted to give me a change of scenery."

Interpreting the look of concern the woman wore, Dara suddenly understood the motivation;

"Something happened while I was gone, didn't it?"

Sighing in resignation as she realized that hiding anything from this particular young woman, especially where her mother was concerned, was futile, Mrs. Adams finally nodded;

"Yes, dear, I'm afraid that your mother had a rather bad morning."

Seeing the panic rising in the girl's eyes, she sought to alleviate her concern as she spread her hands in a placating manner, trying to stall Dara's fear;

"It's alright, I promise. I got her settled back down and called the doctor, he said that she was having a reaction to one of her medications and he got it straightened out. Once I gave her the new medication that he had sent out, she calmed right down and she's napping now."

Throwing her napkin down in frustration, Dara demanded;

"Damned, Mrs. Adams, why didn't you call me? Maybe there was something that I could have..."

Finding herself becoming frustrated with the younger woman, she chastised sharply;

"What? Could have done for her?"

Feeling regret at the look of hurt in the girls eyes, Mrs. Adams relented somewhat;

"I'm sorry, dear, but you and I both know that there isn't really anything at this point that you can really do for your mother, aside from what you are already doing; making her as comfortable as possible."

Shaking her head she continued;

"Dara, I've heard you on the phone with some of the people you've counseled and you are wonderful with those people. I know that you have given hope to many who had no hope, but you can't seem to take your own advice and learn acceptance. Dear, I know this is difficult for you to hear, but you have got to realize, she will not get better, she will not recover. I'm sorry, but you will lose her to this horrible illness she has."

Mrs. Adams found her own heart breaking for the girl as she rose from her chair, grabbed her purse and made her way to the front door. Just as she reached it she turned, a sad smile of acceptance on her features as she explained;

"I think that there's something you don't seem to realize, Mrs. Adams. You see, everything that you've just said, I already know. I know that Mama won't be here with me much longer and I know that, really, there isn't anything that I can really do to help her when she has a bad time like she did today. But you see, the thing is that I don't want HER to know that I know that. Because, even if it's beyond her control, if she thought for one moment that she was responsible for causing me any pain, it would hurt her worse then what the cancer already does and I don't want to be the source of any more pain for her. That's why I have to let her think that I think she's going to get better."

With that she entered the house, leaving a bewildered Mrs. Adams to marvel at just how truly strong Dara Chambers must be to willingly keep her pain contained inside of herself, rather than seeing her mother suffer any more than what she already was.

Dara entered the coolness of the house and exhaled a sigh of relief as she enjoyed the cool touch of the air as it came into contact with her skin. She knew that the utility bills were going to be high during the summer, but it was vital to ensure her mother's comfort, especially as her disease continued to progress. Making her way to the bedroom at the back of the house, she quietly opened the door to check on her mother for herself. She had assumed that she would find Gwenna sleeping but quickly realized that was not the case.

Hearing the door open quietly and seeing her youngest child standing there, Gwenna offered her a loving smile as she greeted;

"Hello, Little One."

Dara couldn't help but shake her head at the pet name her mother had used for her for as long as she could remember. Crossing the space she sat on the side of the bed as she clutched her mother's frail hand in her own before asking

"How are you feeling, Mama?"

Shrugging nonchalantly, Gwenna considered;

"A little better then what I did this morning. By the way, did you get everything situated at your new office?"

Nodding, eager to give her mother some positive news, Dara shared the events of her day;

"Yes, ma'am. As a matter of fact, I also happen to have my first private patient."

Her eyes widening in shocked pleasure, Gwenna encouraged;

"Really? That's wonderful, sweetie. How did you do that before you even opened your office? Is it a referral from the hospital?"

Shaking her head, Dara explained;

"No, actually it's the Sheriff's son. He noticed me having some problems getting a box from the trunk of the car and came over to help me. When he found out that I'm a grief counselor, he asked me would I consider counseling his son."

Gwenna couldn't help but shake her head in amazement at her daughter's explanation. One constant throughout the girl's life had always seemed to be how those in need just seemed to manage to find their way to Dara, just as it seemed that she possessed a unique gift of being able to bring out the best in people, especially those that were lucky enough to find themselves recipients of her affection. Patting her daughter's hand weakly, she queried;

"That's wonderful, Little One. So you got to meet the Sheriff, huh? So what was he like?"

Gwenna could tell by the look in her daughter's eyes that whoever this man was, there must be something about him that struck a chord of interest in Dara. Something that she found intriguing especially since her daughter had never been one to chase or encourage being chased by the opposite sex. The fact of the matter was that Dara had never taken her looks into consideration. Although she would own up to possessing many faults, vanity and hubris would never be counted among them. Finally, Dara shrugged;

"He's okay I guess, Mama. I mean he's definitely younger than you would think a Sheriff would be, but he seems competent, at least as far as I could tell."

Casting her daughter a knowing look she demanded;

"Was he handsome?"

Dara couldn't help but blush as she shrugged;

"I guess so, I mean he's definitely attractive and very charming, but that's probably just part of the territory of his job, Mama."

Unable to contain her chuckle of amusement at her daughter, Gwenna tilted her head to the side in contemplation as she speculated;

"I'm almost willing to bet that he noticed you first, didn't he?"

Shaking her head, Dara demanded;

"Now why would you just assume that, Mama?"

Seeing 'the look' that her mother had managed to perfect over her lifetime, Dara sighed as she confessed;

"Okay, yes ma'am, he told me that he noticed me trying to get the box out of my car and decided to introduce himself and see if he could help me. Mama, how did you know that he had noticed me first?"

Gwenna took a deep breath as she spoke slowly;

"Dara my heart, whether you care to admit to it or not you are and always have been a very beautiful girl, even when you were a baby you were as pretty as a doll, your personality makes you even more so. That being the case, it's not hard to see how a man could find you so attractive and notice you the way this man did, you simply never noticed before, that's all."

Rising from the bed Dara offered her mother a slight laugh as she hugged the woman before considering;

"Mama, I think that you're just really biased when it comes to me. Besides, I have too much to do to notice whether or not a man notices me."

With that she turned and left the room, leaving her mother to chuckle with humor as she speculated aloud;

"Oh, but my Little One, whether you realize it or not, you already have noticed, especially considering how many heads you've turned in the past and failed to notice, until this one."

Finding Mrs. Adams in the kitchen, Dara couldn't help but sniff appreciatively as she questioned;

"I think that I smell your delicious pot roast."

Emitting a slight laugh of bemusement, Mrs. Adams nodded;

"Yes, I know that with trying to finish your unpacking finding time to prepare a proper meal might be somewhat daunting for you. By the way, I also took the liberty of preparing some chicken and dumplings for you also, you just need to heat them up in the microwave."

Approaching the older woman, Dara offered her a slight hug as she offered profusely;

"Thank you, you have no idea just how much I truly appreciate everything you do to make things as easy on me as you do."

Glancing around the area, she considered;

"I won't need you until Monday that is of course unless you'd like to help me with the unpacking."

Shaking her head as she chuckled;

"No, dear, I think that I'll leave that joy to you."

Gathering her purse and bag together, Mrs. Adams bid;

"I'll see you first thing Monday morning; you try to get some rest this weekend."

Seeing the woman to the door, Dara watched as she drove away and then, closing the front door, glanced about the house as she sighed;

"Time to get to work if I want to have this all done by Monday."

With that, she began sorting through boxes, glad for something to occupy her hands, even if she found the subject of Lucas Buck occupying her thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

"Ben, what do you mean that this is it? What kind of detective are you anyway?"

Lucas snapped at his deputy for, what seemed like, the hundredth time in the past few days. Raising his hand, he began ticking off his complaints regarding his deputy's investigation skills.

"First, you tell me that you can't seem to track where she came from originally. Then, you say that you found it, but that there isn't much information there. Finally, we find out that she took a lot of time off from work, but not why or where. So tell me this Sherlock, does she have a husband or kids, you know, anything that I REALLY need to know about?"

Ben sighed in frustration; there was nothing he dreaded more than being on the receiving end of one of Lucas' bad moods. Taking a deep breath is explained;

"Look, Lucas, it's like told you before, she majored in Psychology and her first REAL counseling position was in North Carolina. Everybody that I talked to swears by her and says that she's one of the best; one of her coworkers that I spoke with said that whenever they had someone who no one else could seem to get through to she was able to work wonders with them. But apparently, something serious happened in her family but nobody knows exactly what that 'something' was, all anybody seems to know was that it happened shortly after her grandmother's death and it isn't public knowledge."

Flipping the page in his notebook he offered;

"Oh, and one other thing, I found out that she is not an only child. She has two sisters and a brother, she's the youngest and there are a number of years between her and her siblings."

Glancing up from his notes, Ben quipped;

"No husband or kids, just a brother and two sisters."

Seeing the unamused look on Lucas' face, Ben quickly lowered his head as he consulted his notes once more;

"By the way, there's something funny about her brother, it seems that he's been in and out of trouble here and there. Apparently, he's the type who likes to bully women, especially his sisters. There wasn't anything of note that ever really took place with the older two sisters though."

Ben, noticing the look in Lucas' eyes quickly realized that the next piece of information about Seth Chambers wasn't something that he particularly wanted to divulge. If what was happening to Lucas was what Ben thought it was then he could actually feel sorry for the poor bastard if Lucas ever got a hold of him after finding out this bit of information out. He wasn't surprised when Lucas began drumming his fingers on his desk top before demanding;

"OK, Ben, I'm waiting. What are you holding back about, something disillusioning about our girl?"

Ben chose his words carefully as he studied Lucas before sighing in resignation as he explained;

"Well, it seems that our favored son here has a little problem with his hands. He likes to show people whose boss, that sort of thing. Anyway, with the two older sisters it wasn't really a big issue, they were older than him and they had husbands. He wasn't too anxious to have his brothers in law give him plastic surgery the hard way."

Lucas began drumming his fingers on his desk with one hand while resting his chin on the other as he pinned Ben with his eyes;

"But I get the feeling that our girl here is a different story, or am I wrong?"

Ben, knowing that the quicker a storm comes the quicker it goes, took a deep breath as he dove in;

"Lucas, she's younger than he is and, unfortunately, a lot smaller than he is too and, maybe, worse yet, she's apparently a very stubborn woman. There have been some trips to the emergency room. Luckily, he seems to be the kind to keep moving along, but her trips to the ER coincide his visits. According to one person that I talked with, who knows both sides, they said that the brother is something of a vulture when it comes to death and money. One trip was because she caught him trying to ransack their grandfather's wall safe. Like I said, she's stubborn, but apparently he had to have some stitches thanks to her, so she's tough too."

Ben studied Lucas' reaction very carefully; it was there alright, the signs of the storm that Ben knew would come. Lucas had stopped drumming his fingers and was now crossing his arms over his chest as his eyes took on a chilling darkness, almost as chilling as his tone of voice;

"So our guy likes to beat up on, not only a woman half his size but, his own sister too, Ben? Tell you what, if anyone even so much as sees someone who even resembles this guy I want to know and I want him brought in. Do you understand me, Ben?"

Choosing to simply nod his agreement, Ben turned to leave as Lucas stopped him;

"By the way, what time is it, Ben?"

Glancing at his watch, Ben offered;

"It's 2:45, why?"

Shrugging, Lucas explained;

"Just wondering, Caleb has an appointment after school and I told him to meet me here."

Ben nodded his understanding as he pulled the door to Lucas' private office closed behind him. At that moment, Caleb opened the door to the outer office. Ben couldn't help but shake his head sadly as he realized how sad and forlorn the poor boy looked, as if he didn't have a friend in the world. If there was ever one person in the entire world that Ben thought looked so lonely or lost it was definitely Caleb Temple.

Motioning to Lucas' office door, Ben advised;

"Hey, Caleb, Lucas is waiting for you in his office."

The boy turned and offered a sad, silent nod as he opened the door and walked into the inner private office. Lucas looked up from his paperwork to find his son standing in the doorway, offering a slight smile he asked;

"Hi, son, how was class today?"

Lucas couldn't help but feel bad for the boy. He knew that Caleb felt alone but he had to learn to accept that Lucas was the only family that he had now and was all the family that he would eve need. Still, seeing the boy looking so sad and lonely was definitely depressing, especially when he offered a slight shrug as he replied;

"Fine, I guess, the same thing as yesterday and the day before. So what did you want me here for, huh?"

Lucas couldn't help but wonder how to approach the subject as he heard the dejected tone in the boy's voice. As with most things, when he wasn't sure how to approach them he simply jumped in.

"Son, I know that you've had a rough time with not having a mama, losing who, you thought was, your daddy, then your sister and then what happened to your cousin, Gail. I think that you need to talk to someone who could help you work through this. What do you think?"

Staring at his father in suspicion, Caleb demanded;

"Are you sending me to one of those head shrinkin' people or to the nut house, like Dr. Matt?"

Lucas shook his head vehemently;

"No, son. I'm going to let you talk to someone who's just going to let you talk. She's just going to listen to you and help you work through this in your own time, but she will make it easier for you."

Caleb considered his father's suggestion for a moment before casting his eyes to the carpet, as if studying it's pattern, as he began scuffing his sneakers on the floor before venturing;

"Well, I guess that it couldn't hurt nothing to at least talk to her. When do you want me to go?"

Lucas let a sigh of relief escape as he rose from his desk chair and motioned to the door;

"Well, come on and we'll take a walk and see about now."

He didn't doubt that he could get the boy to go, he just wasn't sure how stubborn he was going to be about it. Ben turned from the file cabinet as he noticed Lucas and Caleb heading for the door.

"Where you heading, Lucas?"

Placing his hand on Caleb's shoulder, Lucas explained;

"Caleb here has an appointment with Ms. Chambers, I wouldn't want him to be late."

Ben watched as father and son walked out the door and couldn't help but shake his head as he speculated aloud;

"You know something Lucas Buck? I think that you may have finally met your match in that lady."

After Lucas and Caleb had crossed the street and made their way to the, now, occupied office, Caleb couldn't help but ask;

"What are we coming here for? This place is empty, ain't it?"

Shaking his head Lucas explained;

"Nope, I helped the lady move some of her things in myself."

Placing his hand on the boy's shoulder to halt him as well as turning him to look at him, he ventured;

"Give it a chance, son,, I think that you'll find that you like her. She seems really easy to talk to."

_'Not to mention end up falling in love with.' _Lucas couldn't help but feel shock as he pondered where that particular thought had originated, Buck men didn't fall in love. Oh, they eventually married, but they never loved their women. They used them to get themselves some heirs to keep the old family traditions going, but women were property and that was it. Still, with this one, there just seemed to be something about her that he couldn't shake. The fact that he told Ben to run her brother in for just showing up in his town, that wasn't like him. Why should he care if some woman's brother got a little too 'hands on' with his sister? But care he did, the mere idea of someone abusing her infuriated Lucas to no end.

Seeing the unfamiliar look on his father's face, Caleb demanded;

"What are you looking like that for?"

Shaking himself from his thoughts, Lucas stammered;

"Sorry, son, I was just thinking. Anyway, like I said, I think that you'll like this lady."

Considering his father's statement for a moment, Caleb asked;

"Is she pretty?"

Despite his attempts to hide the distant look that came into his eyes, Lucas found himself losing his battle as he answered his son;

"Caleb, she's beautiful, inside and out."

Caleb couldn't help but grin broadly, something that was rare these days, as he exclaimed;

"I sure never heard you talk like that before, she must really be something."

Reaching out and turning the doorknob, Caleb walked into the office, followed by Lucas. Both stopped short as they glanced around the space as Lucas, impressed, whistled low at the surroundings. He had thought that her taste would be light and airy, which it definitely was, but she utilized it in such a way that it brought forth the brightness in even the darkest of colors. Caleb turned to his father as he speculated;

"Boy, if she can fix this old place up this nice, she really must be something special."

Both found themselves taken totally by surprise as they heard a light, female voice;

"Why, thank you. I'll take that as a compliment, I do try."

Lucas and Caleb, both turned in shock, Lucas especially was quite unsettled. He had been so intent on gleaning a glimpse into her through her taste that he had failed to notice her approach. No one had ever taken him by surprise before; usually it was the other way around.

As for Caleb, he found himself in awe of her as well, although not to the extent that his father was, but she had struck him nonetheless, especially her eyes. He couldn't help but see a lot of compassion and caring reflected in their depths, as well as a bright liveliness, but he couldn't help but also notice a sadness that he couldn't understand.

While Caleb was intent on studying her, Lucas was mentally kicking himself. _'Damn,' _Lucas thought, _'I have to quit letting her effect me like this. She is just another woman; nothing more, nothing less.' _But the entire time that he was trying to convince himself of it he knew that he was wrong. She was a lot more than just another woman, and that was what bothered him. His whole life he had scoffed at the illusion of free will and here he we was, willing to give it up for this lady.

Dara moved towards Caleb as she offered him a sincere smile and asked brightly;

"You, I take it, are Caleb."

Caleb couldn't help but grin as he responded to her brightness as he nodded;

"Yes, ma'am, I am, but I'm sorry, I don't know your name."

Glad to have something to interrupt the thread of the thoughts in his head, Lucas stepped forward;

"I'm sorry, son. Caleb, this is Ms...'

Lucas had started a formal introduction, but a slight shake of her head and something in her eyes told him that formality wasn't something necessary here. Nodding his understanding he continued;

"I mean, this is Dara, she's the lady that I told you about."

Caleb stuck his hand out and accepted hers in return as he pumped it up and down enthusiastically;

"Glad to meet you, ma'am."

Dara couldn't help but smile tenderly at the boy as she though; _'My, but he does pull at your heartstrings.' _Deciding that it was important she set the ground rules immediately.

"Well, Caleb, did your father tell you anything about what we're going to be doing?"

Caleb's face took on a solemn look as he lowered his head and nodded;

"Yes, ma'am. He said that you were going to try and help me feel better about all of the people in my family that died."

Offering the boy a tender smile she nodded; "That's right, so first, let's drop the formality. You don't have to call me 'ma'am' unless you want to, that's for your teachers or someone else important. You call me 'Dara', okay?"

Lucas couldn't help but be amazed as he witnessed the interchange, he had truly hoped that she would be able to help Caleb, but he never thought that she would get through to him THIS quickly. Caleb had never taken to another living soul, outside of his sister, Merlyn, as fast as he seemed to Dara. His belief that she was truly something special was only reaffirmed after witnessing the interchange. _'Damn, there I am again, not paying attention.'_ Caleb and Dara had just asked him a question.

"Lucas, I asked if you would mind that since I've finished unpacking the office if Caleb and I go for a walk around the town? I need someone to show me where all the fun stuff can be found."

Caleb couldn't help but smile as she winked at him. Considering for a moment, Lucas shook his head;

"Well, I don't mind if Caleb doesn't."

Seeing Caleb's eager nod of agreement Lucas suggested;

"But would you two mind if I went with you? I need a stretch of the legs too?"

Smiling openly at the idea, Dara shook her head as she shrugged;

"I have no objections, Caleb, do you?"

Shaking his head, Caleb piped up;

"Nope, it's fine by me. Let's go."

With that Dara grabbed her keys and wallet as she motioned to the door;

"Alright then, let's go."

Following Caleb and Lucas as they headed toward the center of town, Dara paid attention as they pointed out the things along the way that they thought might interest her. When Caleb pointed out the flower garden that the school sponsored and had the students tend for their civic pride project, Lucas couldn't help but be amazed by the fact that she seemed to find beauty in even the simplest things. He had never really had an appreciation for the small things in life, or truth be told, the larger ones either, but he was starting to see through her eyes the beauty that could be found in even the smallest aspects of life.

It wasn't hard to see how much Caleb was enjoying the outing as he ran alongside them and was eagerly chattering away with Dara, who was listening intently to everything and anything that he had to say. Suddenly, he became excited and began waving as he explained;

"There's my friend, Boone."

Lucas realized that the boy was motioning for his son to join him in the park, but he could also sense that Caleb was reluctant to join his friend for fear of causing injury to Dara's feelings. He was trying to fathom a tactful way to broach the subject when Dara solved the problem for him.

"You know, Caleb, I think that I could really use a cool drink and a rest. If you'd like you can go play with your friend and give your father and I a chance to sit down for a few, if that's okay with you."

Brightening immediately, Caleb asked;

"Are you sure?"

Dara couldn't help but laugh by the fact that he was off and gone before she could even nod her affirmation. Lucas couldn't help but take it all in, especially the sound of her laughter. She had a sweet, infectious laugh that reminded him of the tinkling sound of wind chimes. _'Now I know I'm nuts. I should have checked myself instead of Harvard into Juniper House.' _But even that thought couldn't seem to intrude on his enjoyment of her company. Seeking to veer his thoughts, he asked;

"Did you mean what you said about that cold drink?"

Offering him a sincere smile, she nodded;

"I said it, didn't I?"

Shaking his head, unable to help himself from laughing, he suggested;

"Why don't you find us a place to sit in the shade and I'll go get us something to drink."

Returning a few minutes later, he offered her a bottle of soda as he lowered himself to sit on the ground under a huge oak, where she had chosen to sit. After he took a sip of his own soda he motioned to where Caleb was engaged in conversation with Boone as he ventured;

"You know, you must be a miracle worker of some kind. I have never seen that boy take to another living soul the way he has to you. What's your secret?"

Turning to face him as she shrugged her shoulders, she explained;

"It's not really a secret, I just let him know that I'm prepared to be open and honest and listen to him. When he feels the time is right, he'll start discussing his feelings about his losses, until then, he and I are creating a bond that I hope let's him see that he isn't alone, that he has someone else who cared about him."

Lucas sat a moment, mulling over her statement; she made perfect sense in what she was saying. However, he was more than willing to bet that she didn't know that in the process of bonding herself to Caleb, she was also inadvertently bonding herself to him. He wondered absently if she were to become aware of it if she would run in the opposite direction. He didn't have a lot of time to contemplate his thoughts on the matter as they heard the distinct sound of gunshots being fired at the bank across the street.

Both stood to see what was happening as Caleb ran over and demanded;

"Lucas, what's happening? I heard shooting."

Casting his son a glance, Lucas quipped; "Looks like somebody decided to withdraw their Christmas club a little early."

The look in his eyes turning deadly serious, Lucas ordered;

"You two stay WELL out of the way, I mean it."

Bringing his gaze up to lock eyes with Dara he demanded;

"Do you understand me?"

Both nodded their agreement of his dictate as they watched him hurrying to reach the bank. Dara couldn't stop her thoughts as she wondered; '_What in the world is he going to do? He doesn't even have a gun on him.'_ Silently she began praying that he would use his better judgment, although she couldn't help but chastise herself; _'Now why am I so worried about that man?'_ Dara didn't have very long to ponder her thoughts as she noticed the two men that were leaving the bank and heading straight in her and Caleb's direction. Softly, she swore;

"Now where the hell did Lucas go?"

Realizing that she didn't really have time to think on the matter she quickly grabbed Caleb by his shoulders as she spun him around and whispered;

"Caleb, I want you to go and hide under those bushes or somewhere that you can't be seen. HURRY!"

Momentarily standing his ground, Caleb narrowed his gaze as he shook his head;

"But I can't leave you here alone, they might hurt you or something."

Hissing in his ear as she gave him a little push, Dara ordered;

"Do as I say, Caleb! I mean it, hurry up and go!"

With that Dara shoved him into a run, sending him to duck under the nearest set of shrubbery as he faded out of sight. Caleb hugged himself to the ground and turned so that he could see what was taking place, when he did he wasn't at all happy with what he saw. The two men made a straight line for Dara, everyone else having scattered when they heard the gunshots. The man with the gun had grabbed her arm and roughly shoved her into the other man's arms where she was being held captive. He wasn't certain as to exactly what happened, but the next thing that he knew the man with the gun had turned around and backhanded Dara so hard that Caleb thought her neck would break off of her shoulders from the force of it.

Infuriated at the man's gall, Caleb clutched his fists to his sides as he seethed;

"Lucas, where are you? They ain't got no right to do that!"

At that moment, as if on cue, Lucas stepped into plain view and although he couldn't be sure from this distance, Caleb didn't think that he could ever recall seeing such a look of deadly seriousness before on his father's face. Furrowing his brow in contemplation, Caleb couldn't help but think that this wasn't like Lucas at all. Sure, he made things happen and usually he made the bad guys pay, in his own way, but Caleb thought that, at that moment, if those men weren't holding Dara, Lucas would have killed them with his bare hands, gun or no gun.

Assessing the scene in front of him, Lucas realized that, whatever she had said to him, the tough guy with the gun must have taken extreme exception to it considering that he had hit her with enough force to, not only cause the immediate bruise that Lucas saw staring on her face, but to also knock her unconscious. The fact of which was obvious as Mr. Sawed-off's partner was having to hold her limp body upright for insurance. Narrowing his eyes, he demanded;

"Would you mind telling me what it was that the little lady said to upset you so much, or do you just have a thing for hitting women?"

Lucas knew that the man holding the gun was a repeat criminal who had seen more than his fair share of room and board that the state's expense as he served out time in prison. Although he could guess the man was in his early to mid thirties, given his quickly receding hair line that still attested to the fact that he had once possessed a full head of wavy, blond hair, the haggard lines that gave his face that look of granite, not to mention the variety of amateur tattoos that ran the length of both arms and the physical build that often comes from too much time and little else to occupy the time but lifting weights and other physically challenging activities, Lucas didn't doubt the man could easily pass for at least a forty something. Lucas had no doubts that, just as he was making his assessment, so too was he being assessed as well, something that solidified his suspicions that these two good old boys were most definitely strangers to

Trinity. No one who knew or knew of Lucas Buck would dare be so brazen as to try and pull off a bank robbery in broad daylight in his town.

Scanning his eyes up and down as he made a quick assessment, the hood snickered as he demanded;

"And just who the hell are you and what business is it of yours, mister? Or do you just have some kind of a death wish?"

Lucas could see the cold chill of apprehension in both men's eyes as his face took on an, almost, malicious grin as he offered;

"I happen to be the Sheriff, Lucas Buck is the name. And just who might you two fine, upstanding citizens be."

Turning to the man who was holding Dara, Lucas noticed the close resemblance that he bore to, who he determined to be, the mastermind of their caper. The only difference being a slighter build, younger appearance and full head of hair. He quickly realized that this was the man's first foray into crime, especially given the fact that he had visibly flinched when Lucas identified himself as the sheriff of Trinity, any doubts he may have had to that effect disappeared as the man's eyes took on a look of sheer panic as he plead;

"Geez, Joe, I told you that this was a stupid idea but you didn't want to listen to me. Now look what we're into."

Seeing this his control of the situation was swiftly evaporating, Joe swung viciously on his brother;

"Jess, I told you to shut the hell up and do what you're told. I make the decisions here, not you."

Hoping that what he was planning would work, Lucas took the initiative;

"Looks as if big brother here wants you two fellas to take a long vacation, Jess. I would say about five to ten for armed robbery, of course you need to add another ten to twenty, at least, for shooting the guard at the bank and now of course there would be another twenty at least for kidnapping and judging by the shape of your hostage there you can figure in another few years for assault and I'm guessing that if you two were to get away now with her that we'd probably be adding some more time for rape and murder. That of course depends on how long it takes us to find you, AND I can promise you boys, I will find you."

The fright at the prospect of spending the rest of his life behind a prison wall evident in his eyes, Jess turned to his brother and began begging in a whining tone;

"Come on, Joe, let's just give up and surrender, that way they'll go easier on us."

Shooting his brother a look that promised pure murderous intent, Joe's jaw tightened as he remained silent. With both men's attention diverted, Ben was silently able to slip up behind the pair and conceal his presence behind the large tree at their backs as he drew his gun, ready to spring at the appropriate time. Having noticed Ben's approach, Lucas took his cue to continue as he continued his prodding, provoking the pair even further;

"You see, Jess, I have the feeling that your big brother doesn't care too much about surrendering, especially considering that he's probably done some pretty hard time. I'm guessing that he's not too anxious to do any more time, so I'm guessing that he has it figured that no guts, no glory. That about right, Joe?"

Snickering as a snide grin came to his features, Joe nodded;

"Yeah, you're right, Sheriff, that's about the size of it."

Turning to the younger man, Lucas ventured;

"You, on the other hand, don't have a record so you could probably get off fairly light and not have to do too much time behind bars. But, Big Brother, on the other hand, well, I'm guessing that, with the time he's already done behind bars, they would throw away the key on his ass."

Lucas knew that, judging by the fear and realization in Jess' eyes, the man was doing as he had hoped, especially as he began shaking his head vehemently;

"Joe, I'm sorry brother, but I'm not going to fall with you. Man, you're on your own."

The rage evident in Joe's eyes as he glared daggers at his brother, Lucas, knowing what was coming, readied himself to spring into action as Joe snarled and began his tirade;

"YOU LOUSY BASTARD! YOU NEVER HAVE HAD ANY GUTS, ABOUT ANYTHING! SO YOU WON'T MISS THEM WHEN I BLOW THEM AWAY!"

At that, Joe aimed gun at Jess' midsection, which was unfortunately covered by Dara's still limp body and began to pull the trigger. His eyes widening in the fear that he might fail, Lucas leapt towards him, knocking Joe off balance which raised the gun's barrel as he pulled the trigger, sending a bullet into his brother's shoulder. Jess screamed as the bullet pierced and seared his flesh, causing him to lose his grip on Dara. Lucas made a desperate grab for her and managed to catch her before she could even hit the ground. Ben quickly leapt from behind the tree to aim his pistol at Joe's head as he ordered;

"HOLD IT, OR I SWEAR, I'LL BLOW YOU TO HELL AND BACK!"

Ben cast a brief glance over at Lucas, who was now cradling Dara on the ground, as he demanded;

"Lucas, is she alright? Do we need to get her to the hospital?"

It was at the moment that Floyd hurried from the bank to join them as he quickly began cuffing the thugs. Lucas shook his head in exasperation as he sarcastically quipped;

"Nice of you to finally decide to join us, Floyd, I mean it wasn't as if we needed any extra help or anything."

Turning red in embarrassment as he looked sheepishly at his boss, Floyd stammered;

"I'm sorry, Lucas. I was getting the ambulance over to the bank, they shot the guard up pretty bad and I have another ambulance coming."

Motioning to Dara, Floyd asked;

"Is she going to be okay?"

Glancing down at Dara, Lucas pushed her hair away from her face and could see just how severe the abuse she had suffered truly was by the black bruise marring her cheek and the blood that had trickled from her split lip. Lucas couldn't contain the fury that was quickly making its way to the surface at the gall that the man had possessed to abuse her in such a way. Noticing a blanket that someone had provided, Lucas gently laid her on it as he turned and, slowly, rose as he approached Joe.

Ben braced himself for what he knew was about to come. He knew that Lucas had feelings for the girl, but after the look that he had just seen in his eyes as he assessed the injuries that had been inflicted on her, Ben knew that Joe wasn't about to get off lightly, something that quickly became evident as Lucas bent and retrieved the shotgun that had been dropped during the earlier scuffle and approached him. If there had been any doubts about the intensity of Lucas' anger, they were quickly quelled as Joe's fear became palpable as he looked into Lucas' ominously dark eyes as he stated in a dangerously calm voice;

"You know, it takes a really big man to hit a woman, not only, half his size but that has a gun pointed to her head as well."

With that, Lucas used all of his might to bring the butt end of the gun up to Joe's jaw, effectively smashing it. Blood started pouring from Joe's mouth as he hit the ground from the force of Lucas' blow as he swore;

"You son -ov-a-bitss, you brote my jah."

Lucas abruptly threw the gun to the ground before turning to Ben;

"Our friend here broke his jaw when he hit the ground. Got it, Ben?"

Noting the still murderous look in Lucas' eyes, Ben swallowed as he nodded;

"Sure, Lucas, I'll put it in the report."

Motioning to where Dara way lying on the blanket, he suggested;

"Do you want me to get an ambulance here to take her to the hospital?"

He couldn't swear that he had seen it, but Ben thought that a look of, what could only be described as, infinite tenderness cross Lucas' face as he glanced at the, still, unconscious girl before he shook his head;

"No, I'll take her myself, Ben."

With that Lucas returned to where he had placed Dara before kneeling down and, once again, cradling her to him. Glancing about he absently wondered; _'Now where did Caleb get to?' _As if by magic, Caleb suddenly appeared, holding a damp cloth as he suggested;

"Here, wipe her face and mouth with this and see if that don't help her come around."

Lucas took the cloth and nodded his gratefulness to his son for his thoughtfulness before demanding;

"Where were you hiding during all of this?"

Watching as his father began to tenderly administer the damp cloth to Dara's bruised and swollen cheek as well as her split lip, Caleb couldn't shake the feeling that, somehow, this lady wasn't going to be like all of the other ones that his father had shown an interest in. Bringing his thoughts back to the present, he explained;

"Well, when she saw that they were heading over here she told me to go and hide where they couldn't see me. I think that she distracted them so that they wouldn't find me."

Motioning to her, he demanded;

"Is she going to be okay?"

Continuing to apply the cloth to her face, Lucas was beginning to feel serious concern for her lack of response, then, she started moaning as she slowly moved her hand to her now swollen mouth. Finally, she opened her eyes to look up into Lucas';

"Please tell me that you at least gave the Mac truck that did this a speeding ticket."

Glancing over his shoulder to Caleb, Lucas couldn't help but notice the wide grin of relief that the boy was wearing as he turned back to Dara and, despite himself, offered her a relieved smile as he sighed in relief;

"In a manner of speaking, yeah, I gave him a ticket."

Piping up, Caleb guffawed as he stared at his father in disbelief;

"Ticket, my foot, he broke his jaw for him."

Dara looked questioningly into his eyes as she asked quietly;

"You broke the man's jaw? Why?"

Sparing a moment to give his son a withering look before giving thought to the best way to explain his actions, Lucas quickly realized when his eyes met hers that any attempts he tried to make to brush off his actions weren't going to work with her. Making his mind up, Lucas chose to simply fall back on the truth as he shrugged;

"The man was twice your size and considering the force that he had to use to do this,"

Gently, he touched her tender mouth and swollen cheek as he continued;

"It made me mad as hell, especially because you were knocked out for so long."

Dara couldn't help but feel flattered as she offered a sincere smile as she she shook her head;

"My knight in shining armor, huh, well, I'm okay now, just a little dizzy still. Why don't you help me up and we'll call it a day."

Rising, Lucas offered her his hand to help her stand. He couldn't help but notice that, as she stood, she began swaying slightly until he helped steady her on her feet. The concern he had was evident as he ventured;

"You don't really seem to be too steady, are you sure that you're okay? Maybe we should take you to the hospital and let them check you out, just to make sure."

Although she was touched by his concern, Dara knew that a trip to the ER was out of the question. Turning to face him she shook her head slightly;

"No, I really am okay, just still a little dizzy, that's all."

Despite her assurances, Lucas and Caleb couldn't help but look at each other doubtfully as they began walking, however, they found their progress suddenly halted as she turned towards Lucas to plead;

"Can we please stop a second? I can't seem to get my bearin..."

With that last effort, she went limp as her knees buckled, she would have hit the ground, but Lucas, suspecting what was about to happen when she stopped, caught her before she could fall. The fear evident in his eyes, Caleb demanded;

"Is she okay? She doesn't look so good."

Nodding as he swept her up in his arms, Lucas considered;

"I think so, son, I think she may have just fainted from the dizziness. Go run over to the bank and tell Floyd that I'm taking his car and then get the door open for me, I'm taking her to the hospital to have her checked out."

Understanding the seriousness of the situation, Caleb ran across the street to the bank and delivered Lucas' message. Lucas followed behind at a careful and much slower pace. Glancing down at Dara's relaxed face Lucas couldn't fathom why, but he couldn't stop himself from thinking that she definitely felt as if she belonged in his arms. It was as that moment that Lucas realized just exactly what it was that he had been fighting since having first met her. In the short time that he had known her, he realized that she had managed to wind her way into that area of himself that he didn't think even existed; his heart, and apparently the soul that he thought he had given up, all without the slightest bit of effort on her part.

Reaching the car just as Caleb opened the door, Lucas carefully placed her in the passenger seat before hurrying to the driver's side. Turning the key to bring the engine to life he switched on the blue light as he rushed in the direction of Fulton County General. Glancing over to Dara to make sure that she was all right he flipped the volume on the CB and grabbed the mic;

"Ben, can you hear me?"

When he received no reply, Lucas found his ire rising considerably as he roared;

"Ben, if you value your ass I suggest that you answer me."

After a moment the radio came to life.

"Sorry, Lucas, I'm still here at the hospital with our boy, getting his jaw taken care of. What's the problem?"

Lucas began, immediately, firing out his orders;

"Ben, tell the ER to get the best doctor on duty ready, I'm bringing in a patient for them."

After another second of static, Ben asked;

"Is it Ms. Chambers, is she okay?"

Irritation at, what he considered, an idiotic question given the situation rose stronger than ever in Lucas as he replied sarcastically;

"No, Ben, she's just fine. But I thought that she might like a tour of the town at ninety miles an hour and then finish it up with a visit to the emergency room. No, Ben, she's not fine, she's unconscious. She came to for a few minutes and then passed out again. Just do as you're told. OUT!"

Throwing the mic to the floor Lucas glanced at Dara, who was still unconscious, and realized that he was beginning to feel something that he had never known before; worry for the welfare of another person.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

Dr. Matt Crower was in the process of applying the final layer of the plaster coated bandage to Joe Lowder's broken jaw as he cast a casual glance at the X-ray of the broken bone before sparing Ben a look of cynicism as he shook his head;

"Just for the record, Ben, I don't buy that he tripped and smashed his mouth on a tree root, the only way he could have done this much damage to himself that way would be if he fell from the top limb and hit the root when he landed. So, would you like to tell me how he REALLY got a broken jaw?"

Pursing his lips in consideration of the best way to explain the events that found Crower tending to his latest patient, Ben sighed in resignation;

"Look, I know what you're thinking and strictly off the record, you'd be right. But, whether you want to belief it or not, what he did was a justified act, especially given the circumstances."

Matt shook his head in disbelief;

"I'm sorry, Ben, but I have a really hard time believing that Lucas Buck could be justified in this kind or, for that matter, any other kind of action."

Ben considered the man's viewpoint for a moment, given how Matt had suffered at Lucas' hands it wasn't hard to understand and sympathize with the man's point of view. However, Ben also knew, or at least suspected, what Matt didn't; that Joe Lowder had abused and injured a defenseless woman and it just happened to be a woman that, Ben suspected, Lucas was falling, if not already, in love with. Standing firm in his defense of Lucas' actions, at least in this case, Ben put his hand on the man's shoulder as he offered;

"Look, Matt, I know how you feel and I can't blame you, but trust me, you'll see exactly what I'm talking about when you go down to the emergency room."

Having finished with setting Joe's jaw, Matt cast a doubtful glance at Ben and began washing and drying his hands when the loudspeaker came to life;

'DR. CROWER TO EMERGENCY, STAT!"

Considering Ben's statement momentarily, Matt ventured;

"Well it looks like I'm about to see if you're right, Ben."

Motioning to Joe, Matt explained;

"You can go ahead and take him to the station now, just make sure to give him liquids only, and only through a straw."

Leaving the room Matt couldn't fathom what he might be about to encounter that would provide any type of justification for anything that Lucas Buck chose to do.

Rushing through the entrance to the emergency room, Matt found himself almost colliding with Lucas who glared at the physician as he carefully regained his balance and that of the woman held in his arms. Glancing to the unconscious girl in the man's arms, Matt demanded;

"Is this what Ben was referring to, Buck?"

The glare of frustration still evident on his face, Lucas nodded;

"Yeah, Harvard, now why don't you make yourself useful and examine her already."

Feeling more than a little put out at having to be reminded of his duties, Matt turned and opened the door of an empty examination room before motioning to the table in the middle of the room as he crossed the space to the sink to wash his hands before examining the girl. When he glanced in the mirrored towel dispenser in front of him, he wasn't completely certain but Matt could swear that he had actually seen a look that he could only describe as one of concern and tenderness on Lucas' face as he laid the girl on the table. Matt found himself so shocked that he had to take a second to adjust, especially when Lucas glanced up and met his stare before his mask of arrogance once more slipped back into place as he demanded;

"Well, are you going to examine her or not, Harvard?"

Having recovered from his shock, Matt began his examination and just as he was taking her pulse, Dara began regaining consciousness. She began groaning in pain as she brought her hand to her now aching head as she opened her eyes and saw the two men looking at her, concern evident on both of their faces. Swallowing hard, she demanded;

"What happened? The last thing that I remember I was standing and then that was it."

Nodding his agreement of her statement, Lucas offered;

"Well, you passed out again, I guess he must have hit you a little harder than what we first thought."

As Matt's gaze went from Lucas to the girl he couldn't help but think that there was something familiar about her, although what it was he couldn't quite put his finger on it at that second. Furrowing his brow, Matt asked;

"Exactly what did happen? You've prisoner wasn't quite able to discuss it."

In the process of helping her sit up, Lucas cast a glance at Matt;

"Apparently, my prisoner took extreme exception to something that the lady said to him and did this."

Indicating her swollen lip and the bruise on her cheek before continuing;

"He hit her hard enough to knock her out. She came to for a few minutes but then she said something about dizziness and passed out again."

Having finally gained a sitting position, Dara couldn't help but offer a look of chagrined embarrassment as she contemplated;

"I think that he might have taken exception to the suggestion that I made."

Taking a step backward as he placed his hands on his hips and gave her a stern look, Lucas demanded;

"And just what was it that you suggested that riled him up THAT much?"

Dara lowered her eyes to the floor as she began turning a light shade of pink before replying;

"Well, when the one guy grabbed me and started waving the gun in my face it made me angry, so I made a suggestion."

Not willing to let her off the hook so easily, Lucas gently placed his finger under her chin and brought her eyes up to meet his as he asked;

"And exactly what 'suggestion' did you make?"

Although her face went from pink to red, she refused to back down as she met his look and explained;

"I told him to hand me that shotgun and then bend over and I'd be more than happy to show him the principles of a puppet on a stick."

Lucas couldn't help from turning to Matt, who was trying his hardest not to laugh at her explanation. Although he was actually finding himself having the same problem his face took on a very somber and serious look when he realized just how much danger she had been in, the evidence still very visible by the damage that had been inflicted on her face. The seriousness of his mood was reflected in his tone as he issued;

"I appreciate that you were trying to protect Caleb that means a lot to me. I can also appreciate the fact that you are most definitely one tough and feisty lady, but, darlin, so help me, if you ever put yourself into that kind of situation again, just as soon as I know that you're alright I'm going to turn you across my knee. Do you understand me?"

Although she was touched by his concern for her safety and welfare, Dara wasn't nearly as touched by his tone of command and advised him of the fact.

"I appreciate your concern as well as the fact that you defended me, but, let me make myself clear. I've been taking care of myself for quite some time now and if you ever even think of TRYING to turn me over your knee, Sheriff, you are going to be in for one hell of a surprise. NOW, do YOU understand ME?"

Looking into her intensely angry eyes, Lucas couldn't help but think to himself, _'Damn, she is a hellcat.'_ Realizing that he had overstepped her boundaries, he began apologizing;

"I'm sorry, I guess that I must sound like a perfect example of a male chauvinist, but I was very concerned about your safety and, to be quite honest, it worried me that you were unconscious for so long, Can we declare a truce?"

Dara offered a silent nod of acceptance of his apology as she thought; _'At least he can be reasoned with and admit when he's wrong.'_

Having stood by silent as he witnessed the interchange and finding that he was unable to believe his own ears, Matt's mouth was hanging open in shock. Lucas Buck was actually apologizing to someone! Before Matt could give the scene any further consideration, Lucas remembered that they weren't alone as he glared at Matt;

"Are you going to stand there catching flies or are you going to practice some medicine?"

Quickly recovering from his shock Matt once again entered his mode of a skilled physician as he began examining Dara. She sat through it patiently and responded appropriately, until Matt examined her eyes. When he brought out his pen light to shine into her eyes she suddenly became dizzy and found herself trying to regain her balance. Concerned, Matt asked;

"Are you okay? Did you have a shooting pain or dizziness?"

Closing her eyes for a moment to let the feeling pass, Dara answered;

"I just felt a sharp dizziness when you shined the light into my eyes, that's all. Give me a second and I'll be fine and then I can get up and stop wasting your time."

Matt found himself exchanging looks with Lucas as he realized that both were having the same thoughts. Crossing his arms over his chest he ventured;

"Look, I'd like to keep you so that I can get a CAT scan. From what Sheriff Buck said, you were out like a light, twice, and for several minute, not to mention the dizziness. I just want to be certain that you don't have a concussion, so we'll take you for the test and then keep you overnight for observation. Okay?"

At the mention of 'observation', despite the dizziness, Dara sat up immediately and pinned Matt with her eyes as she shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Crower, I'll stay for the scan, but overnight is out of the question."

Matt knew that most patients were eager to get away from the hospital, but she was downright adamant about it. Attempting to broach the subject in another way, he offered; 

"You can call me, 'Matt', if you like. I strongly recommend the observation, just to make sure that the dizziness isn't part of a bigger problem and that it goes away."

Dara could see by the looks that both men wore that she was going to have to show them just how serious she truly was; there was no way she could stay at the hospital overnight, or anywhere else for that matter. She had to get home to take care of her mother; she simply couldn't impose on Mrs. Adams to stay both day and night, that being the case staying here was out of the question. She knew that if she could show them that she could leave under her own steam that it would end all discussion of an overnight stay and if there did happen to be a problem she could simply take a couple of days to recover at home.

Her face taking on a look of determination she went to slide off the table to stand on her feet so that she could leave. However, what she was planning and what her body would allow were two completely opposite things. Her legs started to shake and she was unable to force them to support her; she would have hit the floor in a disgraceful heap, but Lucas' quick reflexes went into action and he caught her. Silently, he bent and effortlessly lifted her back onto the table and slowly lowered her to a reclining position as he suggested;

"Look, as much as I hate to agree with Harvard here, about anything, I think that he's right, you need to let them run the test and if he thinks you should, stay, so that they can make sure you're okay."

Turning her glance from one to the other she felt helpless as she was unable to argue in her present condition. Worse than that, she knew that she wasn't any good to her mother and that if she were to see her like this the only thing that would happen would be that she would add to her anxiety. Finally, she gave in, at least as far as she was willing to.

"All right, I'll have the damned test, but, if there isn't a concussion then I get two aspirin and I can call you in the morning. Deal?"

Considering her suggestion for a moment, Matt realized that she was most definitely determined; he had to give her that. Finally, he nodded;

"Okay, if there isn't a concussion then you get to go home, fair enough. Now let me go and see about getting started."

Turning to Lucas, he motioned to the door;

"Sheriff, can I talk to you for a second?"

Following him from the exam room, Lucas waited patiently as Matt submitted his orders and made arrangement for an orderly to take her for a CAT scan. Once he was finished, Matt turned and asked;

"Is it just me or is she in one hell of a hurry to get out of here?"

Nodding his agreement of Matt's assessment, Lucas offered; 

"I'll tell you something, Crower, she is the most determined woman that I've ever met, but her unreasonableness about staying in the hospital goes beyond determination. I wonder what's so important at home."

Considering Buck's observation for a moment, Matt realized that he never even got the girl's name. Although there was something about her that was familiar to him, he still couldn't grasp what it was. Turning to Lucas he asked;

"By the way, who is she anyway? In all of the excitement I forgot to get her name."

His suspicion evident in his eyes as he looked at Matt he debated sharing that piece of information with the man. Although he was now married to Loris Holt, that didn't mean that the man couldn't still be an obstacle between himself and Dara. Finally, due to the fact that he would learn her identity sooner or later, he decided to answer him;

"Her name is Dara Chambers, she's new here, a grief counselor."

As if a light had suddenly gone off over his head, Matt realized why she seemed so familiar to him now; he had met her briefly at the staff meeting held last week, she was the new counselor from North Carolina. Seeing the strange look that Lucas was giving him, Matt explained;

"I thought that I had seen her before, now I know why she looks so familiar."

His jealousy becoming highly apparent, Lucas turned on Matt and demanded in a sharp voice;

"Just where in the hell did you meet her, Harvard?"

Matt could see that, by the jealousy now clouding Lucas' face, where this girl was concerned, he was now considered to be a trespasser. He quickly realized just how apparent the truth of Ben's earlier statement really was, especially as he pieced together the mystery of why and how his previous patient had managed to obtain a broken jaw. Although the idea of Lucas Buck caring for anyone but himself was a difficult one for Matt to accept, he couldn't deny that, judging by the man's actions and the look of concern he had seen earlier, he must care a great deal about the girl. Seeking to diffuse the man's jealous temper, he held his hands up in a halting manner;

"Calm down, Buck. I know her because I met her at the last staff meeting that we had. She's the new counselor here and I didn't realize who she was in there, that's all."

Satisfied with Matt's answer, Lucas calmed considerably as he ventured;

"Why do you suppose she wants to get home in such an all fired hurry?"

Considering a moment, Matt remembered a conversation that he had with one of the administrative staff and suddenly understood her reluctance to stay overnight. Casting a covert glance at Lucas he made a quick decision as he thought to himself; _'If she hasn't said anything, then it's not my place to either'. _Shrugging noncommittally, he offered;

"I guess the idea of being a patient in a hospital just doesn't sit right with her. You'll have to excuse me a moment, I need to talk to her."

Noticing Lucas about to follow him, he placed his hand on the door knob as he ordered sternly;

"In private!"

Not wanting to give Lucas a chance to launch a protest, Matt stepped into the room and pushed the door shut behind him. He could see that she now seemed to have her dizziness under control as she was sitting upright. Deciding to be direct, he offered;

"Would you like me to call your care giver and explain what happened? I'm sure that she'll understand?"

Her eyes widening in shock, Dara demanded;

"How did you find out? The only people that know are the doctors that will be treating Mama, and Mrs. Adams."

Offering her a sympathetic look, Matt pointed out;

"This IS a small town, and I happen to be one of the doctors on consult for your mother, I didn't piece it all together until I remembered seeing you at the staff meeting last week. Once I remembered I understood your reluctance to stay for observation, but don't worry, I won't say anything. This is your business, not everyone else's, including Lucas Buck."

Dara couldn't help but shake her head in shock of his statement as she stated, rather than asked;

"I don't think that it's my imagination; you don't like him very much, do you?"

Taking a moment, Matt gave her an appraising look and could easily understand why Lucas Buck would be interested in her; even in her bruised and battered state she was a very attractive woman. Sighing in resignation, he chose his words carefully;

"I've seen a lot of hurt here and at the center of most of it, you can find Lucas Buck. However, it's not my place to tell you anything about the man; you'll have to draw your own conclusions."

Any other statements that Matt was considering making were silenced as the orderly entered the room with a wheelchair to take her for her CAT scan. Lucas had followed behind the orderly and realized that, although she wasn't nearly as shaky as she had been earlier, she was still somewhat weak. Before she could protest she found herself being lifted from the examination table to be lowered into the waiting conveyance by Lucas. When the orderly turned the chair and began to leave the room, Matt realized that Lucas had every intention of following, however, he quickly squelched that idea as he placed a restraining hand on his arm before shaking his head;

"I'm sorry, Buck but you can't go back there. You can wait in the waiting room if you want."

Lucas narrowed his gaze before casting his eyes down pointedly at Matt's hand before bringing his eyes back to look into Matt's. Understanding the silent demand, Matt removed his hand and began to walk past him as Lucas ordered;

"Wait a minute, Harvard. What were you and the lady discussing in here?"

Glaringly as him angrily, Matt seethed;

"You know that I can't tell you that, Buck; if she wants you to know then she'll be the one to tell you."

Grabbing Matt's arm, Lucas shook his head;

"I don't think so, Harvard, you're not getting off that easy. I can see that part of the conversation was about me."

Never having been one to skate around an issue, Matt stated straightforwardly;

"Yes, you're right, it did. She asked my opinion and I gave it to her. What's the matter, Buck, are you afraid that the lady will find out what's really underneath that Southern charm of yours'?"

Lucas' jaw clenched in anger as he shot Matt a look of infuriated thunder;

"DAMNED! You had no right discussing me with her."

Matt couldn't help but stare at Lucas strangely as he studied the look on the man's face as well as the knife like edge in the tone of his voice. It occurred to Matt that Lucas' agitation was due more because of the idea that Dara might think less of him after having conversed with Matt then because Matt had actually dared to discuss him with her. Relenting in his abrasiveness, Matter offered;

"Look, if I overstepped then I'm sorry. But let me give you some advice, Buck; I think that you're more than aware that I wont be the only person that she'll be hearing about you from. So if I were you, I'd try to show her that somewhere in that piece of stone that you call a heart, there really is something worthwhile there. I have the feeling that if anyone could possibly find it in you, it would be her.

With his last comment, Matt left Lucas standing there, contemplating his statement as Matt made his way to his office. He had a phone call to make and he didn't want to forget. Once he had reached his office and located Dara's home number, Matt phoned and advised Mrs. Adams of the situation. He had no doubts that the woman was more than willing to stay for as long as she was needed and was relieved to find that his assumption was correct. Once he had the woman's assurances that she would be more than happy to do whatever was needed to ensure that Dara received whatever treatment Matt deemed necessary, he thanked her profusely before placing the phone back in its cradle. Having finished his task Matt sat back in his chair and contemplated his earlier conversation with Lucas Buck, shaking his head, he found himself expressing his opinion aloud;

"Lucas Buck, I do believe that lady is about to give you a run for your money."

Lucas stood, shocked, he had never had anyone approach him in such a direct manner as Crower had just done, no one had ever dared to. The only problem was that, although it angered him, he wasn't certain as to whether it was because he had dared to say what he did or because it was the truth. Pushing the thought to the back of his mind, he was making his way to the waiting room when he noticed Floyd and Caleb entering the main entrance; motioning for them the follow him he was silently grateful for their company since it would give him the opportunity to detour his thoughts. After they were settled in their chairs, Caleb turned to his father, the worry evident on his young face as he demanded;

"Is she going to be okay, what did Dr. Matt say?"

Before Lucas could speak, Floyd rushed to apologize; "I'm sorry it took us so long to get here Lucas, but there were a mess of statements that had to be taken down at the bank and then we had to notify the guard's family. How is Ms. Chambers doing?"

Turning to Caleb, Lucas reached for his wallet as he explained;

"She's having a CAT scan done right now, son."

Handing his son some money he suggested;

"Caleb, I'm thirsty, why don't you go to the cafeteria and get us all something to drink."

Glancing at Floyd as Caleb hurried to fulfill his father's request, he asked;

"Is there any word on the guard yet?"

Floyd glanced at Lucas nervously; just like Ben, Floyd also believed that Lucas had a lot of strong feelings for the Chambers woman; however, the problem was that Floyd never seemed to know how NOT to overstep the boundaries of Lucas' anger. It was this last concern that found him picking his way carefully through the conversation, especially given the description from Ben of what had taken place when Lucas had discovered Joe Lowder's assault on Dara. Swallowing nervously, he began;

"Well, the last that I heard he was in critical condition. Do you have any ideas on how many charges we're going to be bringing against those two boys? So far as the witnesses go they all swear that the one named Joe was the one doing all of the gun toting and the one named Jess was doing the clean up work; getting the money and wallets and such."

Running his hand through his hair in aggravation, Lucas considered Floyd's query. Although he wanted nothing more than to make them pay, his way, he had no doubt that if Dara realized what he was capable of, not only wouldn't she understand it but she also wouldn't have anything at all to do with it, or him. Finally, after wrestling with himself, he answered Floyd;

"I guess that we go for attempted murder on Joe, we can get him for the guard, Jess and even possibly Dara. Definitely for assault with harmful intent on Dara, not to mention armed robbery, other than that let the D.A. deal with it, but Floyd you tell Daniels this, he needs to make damn sure that whatever charges there are in regards to Dara are to stick to them, especially Joe."

Shuddering at the intensity in Lucas' eyes, Floyd realized that Ben was right; that girl was going to be like a whirlwind through Lucas Buck's life. Turning he noticed Caleb entering the waiting room as he tried to balance the Styrofoam cups; carefully, he handed Lucas his as well as Floyd and then began fishing in his pockets. Lucas, realizing what the boy was searching for, held up his hand;

"Keep it, Caleb, it's okay."

Despite himself, Caleb couldn't help but grin at his father as he offered;

"Thanks, Lucas. How's Dara? You never answered me, is she okay?"

Lucas was about to answer when he noticed Matt standing in the doorway. Rising from his seat, he demanded;

"Well, is she okay?"

Matt nodded towards Caleb and Floyd in acknowledgement as he explained;

"I just got her test back and she's going to be just fine. Apparently, when he hit her he just literally rattled her, which explains the dizziness, but she should be good as new in a few days."

Turning to Caleb, Matt offered the boy a smile as he asked;

"Caleb, are you coming home tonight, or do you have other plans?"

Although Lucas liked having the boy around he decided that the best course of action would be to let Crower take him with him back to the boarding house, especially since Dara wasn't going to be able to drive and there was no way that he was willing to allow anyone else to take her home. Motioning to Matt, Lucas suggested;

"Son, I think that you should go with the doc here. Dara isn't going to be able to drive herself, so I'm going to take her home, okay?"

Satisfied with his father's explanation Caleb nodded his agreement before asking;

"Can I see her before we go? Those men might have taken me if it hadn't of been for her. I want to tell her thank you."

Considering the boy's request, Matt smiled; 

"Sure, I don't see a problem with that. Just make it quick, she looks like she's really starting to hurt. The sheriff really needs to get her home and to her own bed."

As intended, the subtle hint totally missed Caleb, but Lucas had caught it just fine as he glared over Caleb's head at Matt.

"That's what I had in mind, Harvard. I think that the lady has had more than enough excitement for today, don't you?"

Matt ruefully shook his head as he simply motioned for them to follow him. Once the reached the exam room Matt opened the door and let Caleb enter while he held back and gave Lucas instructions as he reached into his lab coat and withdrew two bottles of pills and handed them to Lucas. 

"Make sure that she gets these and remind her. I know that she's not in the mood for focusing right now, but one is for headaches. She has a history of migraines, so I imagine that she'll be having some bad ones until she's recovered. The other is for pain; I looked at that bruise and her mouth and I have to tell you, I'm amazed that he didn't break her cheek bone or her jaw."

Taking the bottles, Lucas shoved them into his hip pocket;

"Are you sure that she's going to be okay though? I mean, she shouldn't stay here, it's okay for her to be at home by herself?"

Matt couldn't help but be suspicious of Lucas' question; you never could be sure when it came to dealing with Lucas Buck what his motives were, that being the case, Matt wasn't sure if the man was truly concerned or simply fishing for information. Finally, taking the safe route, he offered;

"I wouldn't worry about it too much, I'm sure that she'll be just fine."

Pushing the door open, Matt entered and gave Dara her test results;

"Okay, a deal is a deal. You don't have a concussion so you don't have to stay in the hospital. Sheriff Buck is going to take you home now; I don't think that you should be driving for at least a couple of days, depending on how you feel. I gave him your medication and he'll explain it to you so you're free to go."

Lucas couldn't help but notice the look of intense relief she was now wearing at the news but remained silent. Matt had been concerned that Lucas might try to hound Dara for information, but was immensely relieved when he remained silent instead. Turning to Caleb, Matt advised;

"Are you ready to go, Caleb? I'm going to leave in about ten minutes."

Caleb nodded his agreement before turning to Dara and asking;

"I'm still going to get to see you, aint I? You don't think that I'm jinxed or nothing, do you?"

Despite the pain in her mouth, Dara couldn't help but smile as she nodded;

"Yes, you're still going to get to see me, just give me a couple of days so that I can get back to normal, okay? And no, I don't think that you're a jinx, Caleb, I'm the one who pushed you under the bushes, remember?"

Standing to leave, Caleb unexpectedly put his arms around Dara as he expressed in embarrassment;

"I sure am glad that you're not hurt bad."

With that parting comment he quickly left the room, clearly embarrassed by his display of emotions. Once Crower and Caleb had left, Lucas focused his attention on Dara.

"If you're ready, I'll drive you home now. My car's just outside."

Nodding her acceptance of his offer Dara ventured;

"Thank you, I'm more than ready. All I want now is my tub and my bed, in that order."

Moving to the other side of the bed, Lucas ignored her protests as he lifted her and placed her in the waiting wheelchair.

"I can walk you know, my legs are fine."

Unable to prevent the smile that came to his face, Lucas nodded as he replied candidly;

"After seeing you in those shorts the other day, I'll agree, but until you get your strength back and stop feeling dizzy this is much safer. I wouldn't want you to trip and fall. Besides, I don't mind."

Quickly realizing that it was useless to argue with him as well as being uncertain as to how she could best hide her embarrassment over his comment Dara chose to merely sit back and accept his reasoning. Having declined the orderly's offer, Lucas pushed her out to the parking lot himself. Once they reached the car he quickly settled her in the passenger's seat and reached across her to fasten her safety belt as he stated;

"Wouldn't want to have any accidents, it's better to be safe than sorry."

With that, he quickly he slid behind the steering wheel and pulled away from the parking lot in the direction of Dara's home.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

Leaning back in her seat, Dara closed her eyes in an attempt to stop her world from spinning. Suddenly realizing that she had forgotten something important her eyes opened wide in frustration. Noticing her distress, Lucas looked at her in deep concern;

"What's the matter, are you feeling dizzy again?"

Turning to look at him she sighed in resignation;

"Yes, but it's not that, I just realized that I forgot something important, that's all. It will wait."

Reaching into the back seat, Lucas brought forward the item that Dara was anxious about;

"Do you mean this?"

Clutching the bag to her, she offered him a look of gratitude as she demanded;

"How did it get here? I left it at the office."

Lucas couldn't help but grin broadly at the realization that he had managed to eliminate some of her worry by such a simple act as making certain that she had her purse.

"Well, since Floyd had to go and get my car, I gave Caleb your keys and told him to go get it before they came here. I figured that you would need it sooner or later and I didn't want you worrying about it. Don't worry about your car either; I've already had that taken to your house."

Dara couldn't help but shake her head in amazement; it appeared that this man seemed to think of everything.

"You're definitely handy to have around."

Although he knew that her words were said in jest, he couldn't help but feel pleasure as she said them. Seeking to lighten the mood a little and hide his own feelings, Lucas ventured;

"Well, maybe one of these days I can show you my cooking skills, and then we'll see if you still say that."

Despite the obvious pain that it caused her, Dara couldn't help but laugh. However, her mirth was short lived as she began reflecting on his actions and the puzzlement was obvious on her face. Despite the darkness in the confines of the car, Lucas could still see the concern on her face. Turning serious, he asked;

"Is there something that's bothering you?"

Considering the most tactful way to broach the subject, Dara asked;

"Well, now that you mentioned it, I was just curious; exactly how did you know where I live? I can't remember telling you or anything, so how did you know where to have my car sent?"

Lucas realized that, even in her battered state, she was still a very sharp and astute person. Keeping his eyes focused on the road as he tried to decide on the safest route to take in answering her, yet making sure that he was honest with her, he finally, he realized that the safest answer was going to be the truth.

"I'm the sheriff, remember? All that I had to do was pull up the DMV file from your tag, it has your address, but aside from that this is a small town so when someone new moves in it's not hard to figure out."

He could see by the expression on her face that she was mulling over his answer. Considering his words, Dara had to admit that what he said did make sense, this was a small town and he could have very easily found out the information, finally realizing that she was being rude, she offered;

"Thank you for having my car taken home. I was somewhat worried about it."

Nodding, he replied;

"You're more than welcome, if there's anything that I can do to help you just ask me."

Turning into her driveway, Lucas pulled to a stop in front of the house and couldn't help but stare at it in shock. He could tell that she had done a lot of work to the old place, having seen it beforehand.

"You've really spruced this old place up. I thought that is was just about ready for the wrecking ball."

Dara smiled proudly, she had done most of the work herself and she took great pride in the fact that it had turned out so well.

"Thank you, I tried really hard with this house. I loved it when I saw it, especially the pier at the river. I love the water, when I need to get away and find some peace I go down and sit there to think."

Lucas couldn't help but find the glimpse into her personality fascinating as he cut the motor before coming around to help her out of the car. This time, he allowed her to try walking on her own and she had managed to get about halfway to the front door when she was forced to stop so that she could get her balance back. She had grasped the tree trunk that she was standing next to as she attempted to get her vision back into focus and let the dizziness that was engulfing her pass. Sensing her dilemma as well as noticing her change in pallor, Lucas understood why she had stopped; apparently, dizziness wasn't the only issue that she was dealing with at the moment.

"You're sick on your stomach too, aren't you?"

He couldn't help but feel concerned when she swallowed hard as she tried pushing the nausea back down before nodding as he suggested;

"It's okay; it'll pass in a second."

Leaning back against the tree she closed her eyes as she tried to regain her composure before correcting his earlier statement;

"Somehow, I think that it's going to take longer than a minute."

Seeing that she was losing her battle, Lucas bent and swung her slight frame easily into his arms. Seeing that she was about to launch a protest, he quickly silenced her objections;

"Look, you're not that heavy and you're wearing yourself out trying to walk, so this is the best solution."

Accepting his logic she laid her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes having decided that any attempts to argue would be useless, especially given that it was taking all of her concentration at the moment to fight keeping her nausea at bay. Finally, she felt as if she was gaining some semblance of control as she considered;

"Thank you, I think that you're right, I don't think that I could have walked another step without having been absolutely sick."

As if the thought suddenly struck her, she offered a rueful smile as she speculated;

"But if you keep this up you're going to end up with a bad back."

Just as Lucas' boot touched the top step of the front porch, he found the front door being thrown open as Mrs. Adams rushed out;

"Dara, dear, are you all right, what happened? Dr. Crower phoned and explained you had been involved in some sort of an incident and that you had been injured but that he was releasing you. Dear, if you need to be admitted I'll be more than happy to stay here with your mother so that she isn't alone, you know that I'll take good care of her."

Realizing how much could be divulged in her last statement, Dara's eyes opened quickly as she raised her head from Lucas' shoulder to begin furiously shaking her head, despite the dizziness and nausea. Just as quickly as she had raised her head, she found herself forced to lay her head back against Lucas shoulder as the pain and dizziness found her closing her eyes.

Mrs. Adams had been so anxious in her concern for the girl that she didn't realize, until after the fact, that she said more than might be prudent. She knew that Dara didn't want the fact that her mother's condition was a terminal one to become public knowledge and one thing that she knew without a doubt was that if there was anyone who needed to be the last person to know such a fact it was the man now holding Dara in his arms. She felt that her opinion was solidified when Dara cautiously opened her eyes and focused her attention on the woman as she demanded;

"You haven't said anything about it to Mama, have you?"

Quickly, Mrs. Adams understood her meaning as she noticed the covert sideways glance that Dara cast in Lucas' direction. Seeking to put the girl's mind at ease, she shook her head.

"No, dear, but I do intent to stay here with you for a couple of days; you really shouldn't be left alone. Do you think that you'll be alright long enough for me to go get some things? It shouldn't take me more than about fifteen minutes or so?"

Although he had remained silent during the course of it, Lucas didn't miss the interchange between the two women. Although he decided to let it go at that moment, he quickly realized that there was something that this girl didn't want to become common or public knowledge. Seeking to ease the situation, Lucas volunteered;

"I'm off duty, Mrs. Adams, I'll be more than happy to stay with Ms. Chambers so that you can go and get your things. You go on ahead."

Biting at her lip nervously, Mrs. Adams considered her options for a moment; she knew about Lucas Buck, having been a lifelong resident of Trinity, however, she was quite certain that Dara did not. Finally, she realized that there was simply no way to refuse his offer without raising his ire. Although, in her opinion, leaving Lucas Buck to watch over a woman, especially one as beautiful as Dara, was the equivalent of leaving a wolf to guard a flock of lambs; grabbing her purse, Mrs. Adams advised;

"I'll be back as quickly as I can, dear."

Entering the house, Lucas made his way into the living room to settle Dara on the sofa as he advised;

"Why don't you try to get comfortable, where's your kitchen?

Leaning her head against the sofa cushions, Dara pointed in the general direction. Lucas had no problems finding some ginger ale in the refrigerator, hoping that it would help ease her stomach he poured her a glass and retraced his steps to the living room. He was shocked as he approached the doorway and heard Dara, evidently, admonishing someone;

"You know that you're not supposed to take that off, Mama, why didn't you just ring your bell I would have gotten your longer one or your portable tank."

Standing in the doorway, unnoticed, Lucas couldn't help but quietly chuckle in humor as he heard a female voice that was obviously older but similar to Dara's as she quipped;

"Dara Cherice, you don't look as if you're able to take care of yourself at the moment, let alone me."

Deciding that he didn't want it to appear as if he had been eavesdropping, Lucas entered the room and offered;

"Here, I hope you don't mind but I found some ginger ale in your fridge and thought that it might help settle your nausea."

He couldn't help but notice the shocked look on the older woman's face as he had entered the room; despite the look of shock, there was no mistaking the close relationship that she bore to Dara, any doubts to that effect were quickly put to rest as Dara offered;

"Thank you; I definitely appreciate your thoughtfulness."

Taking a quick sip, she shook her head in embarrassment;

"Lucas, I'm sorry."

Motioning to the older woman in the chair closest to the sofa, she explained;

"Lucas, this is my mother, Gwenna Chambers. Mama, this is Lucas Buck, he's the sheriff and he was nice enough to bring me home and make sure my car was brought home."

Extending his hand, Lucas took a moment to study the woman before offering;

"It's very nice to meet you, Mrs. Chambers."

For her part, Gwenna was doing her own thorough appraisal of the man standing in front of her. He was definitely attractive and although she wasn't willing to venture taking a guess regarding his age, she had no doubt that he was significantly older than her daughter. However, she also couldn't help but think that, just maybe, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing either. Finally, she offered her own hand as she nodded;

"It's nice to meet you as well, Sheriff Buck, please call me Gwenna."

Lucas had no doubts that he was being sized up in the few moments that it had taken Gwenna to offer her own hand. However, considering that he was doing the same thing, he could hardly fault her for her actions especially given that her youngest child was at the heart of the matter. Eagerly taking her hand he offered a sincere smile as he returned;

"Thank you, but only if you'll call me Lucas."

Casting her glance in her daughter's direction, she addressed Lucas;

"I appreciate you're bringing Dara home and if you wouldn't think it too intrusive of me, Lucas, I'd like to ask if you happened to be at the hospital with her when the doctor saw her."

His gaze swinging from first mother to daughter and then back to Gwenna, he nodded; 

"Yes, ma'am, as a matter of fact, I actually took your daughter to the hospital myself."

Her face taking on a look of determined stubbornness, Gwenna demanded;

"Since my daughter has a tendency to under play anything that she thinks might worry me, Lucas, would you please tell me EXACTLY what happened to cause my daughter to look as if she has been in a boxing ring."

Locking eyes with Dara, he could see that she wasn't going to balk at her mother's request. It wasn't hard for him to understand the look he found in her eyes; although she wasn't thrilled at the idea of her mother learning what happened, she also knew that withholding the information would only exasperate the woman's worry so there was no sense in even making such an attempt. Turning to face her mother, Lucas nodded as he related the earlier events of the day.

"Yes, ma'am. You see today was my son, Caleb's, first session with your daughter and we thought that it might be a good idea if we took a walk to the park to give Caleb a chance to get used to her. Well, while we were there we heard gun shots from the bank across the street, I told Dara and Caleb to stay put and out of the way while I went to see what was going on."

Gwenna couldn't help but notice how he was shaking his head in self reproach as he continued;

"Had I known that they were going to head for the park, I never would have left them; but they left the back way while I was going in the front and we missed each other. From what my son told me, Dara made him go hide and distracted them so they wouldn't find him. When I got back to the park she had been knocked unconscious and was being held hostage. Luckily, with my deputy's help, I was able to get Dara away from them and into custody."

Dara stared at him in disbelief of how understated his explanation had truly been. Turning to her mother she explained;

"He's not telling you everything, Mama. Caleb told me that, he kept the man with the shotgun from shooting me by jumping at him before he could pull the trigger. Not to mention, he also broke the man's jaw that did this."

Bringing her fingers up to her mouth and cheek she indicated the damage that had been inflicted on her cheek and mouth. Studying her daughter's bruised cheek and swollen mouth, she reached across the space to gently touch her child's face, as if trying to reassure herself that she was and would be fine. Leaning back in her chair as she sought to catch her breath, Gwenna turned to Lucas as she asked;

"You broke the man's jaw? Surely it was an accident."

Deciding to be as transparently truthful as possible where this woman was concerned, Lucas' jaw tightened in a determined look as he shook his head and explained with neither pride nor regret in his voice for his actions.

"No ma'am, it was not an accident. Your daughter was knocked unconscious, the man was twice her size and holding a shotgun to her head when he did that, it riled me to no end that he did that. He had no right to lay his hands on her; I don't care what she said to him."

Realizing that, as she had suspected, her daughter's sharp tongue may have played a hand in some of what had taken place, Gwenna turned to her child as she stated, rather than asked in a chastising tone;

"Alright, Little One, what did you say to them?"

Her face taking on a look of innocence, Dara demanded;

"Mama, why on earth would you assume that I said something?"

Holding her ground as she remained silent, Gwenna gave her daughter 'the look', as it was referred to by her children. The glance was one of neither accusation nor censure, simply one that showed she knew the answer already but simply wanted her child's verbal confirmation. Finally, Dara rolled her eyes as she blurted;

"Okay, fine. Yes I said something to them. It made me mad that he was waving the gun in my face so I told him to hand me the shotgun and then bend over and I would demonstrate the principles of a puppet on a stick to him."

Closing her eyes momentarily at her daughter's confession, Gwenna couldn't help the smile that found its way to her face as she began chuckling with thinly veiled humor. Turning to Lucas, who couldn't help but stare in shock at the exchange, Gwenna motioned to her daughter;

"I should probably turn her over my knee, but as you can clearly see, Lucas, my daughter happens to be no shrinking violet. What she lacks in size she most definitely makes up for in heart, courage and, to be honest, a smart ass attitude when she chooses to use it."

Her mouth dropped open in shock as Dara chastised;

"MOTHER!"

Lucas could see that despite the slight chastisement, Gwenna was proud of her daughter's strength and willingness to demonstrate the fact that she possessed it. However, he could also see that the woman was concerned at the amount of danger her daughter had willingly placed herself in to see to the safety of another. Seeking to change the tone of the mood in the room, he ventured;

"If it makes you feel any better to know it, Dr. Crower examined her thoroughly and did a CAT scan. He said that she had no damage just the bruises and soreness. And.."

Reaching into his hip pocket he produced the two bottles of pills as he set them on the coffee table before explaining;

"He said that he knows about your migraines so those are to help you if you should have one and the other is for pain if you need it."

Nodding as she glanced at the bottles Dara brought her eyes up to meet his;

"By the way, I never really got around to thanking you for saving my life today, I'm very grateful."

Despite the presence of her mother, Lucas decided to take the initiative as he smiled and leaned forward;

"Then how about going out to dinner with me tomorrow night, provided that you're feeling better of course, I happen to know one of the best seafood restaurants in the state."

Dara looked at him regretfully;

"I'm sorry, but…"

Before she could complete her statement, Gwenna decided that her daughter was in desperate need of some guidance as she suggested;

"But tomorrow night wouldn't be a good idea, Lucas. I mean, the bruises and what have you, she wouldn't really be able to enjoy herself in her shape, maybe in a couple of days or so?"

Lucas couldn't help but smile at the woman as he realized that he seemed to have found an ally. Hearing Mrs. Adams at the front door, he decided that discretion was the better part of valor as he rose from the sofa, just as she entered the living room, especially since he had to regroup having found himself shocked before Gwenna's well timed interruption. He had no doubt that Dara was about to refuse his invitation and that was something new for him; usually he was on the giving end of refusals not the receiving end.

Ellen Adams entered the room and immediately placed her hands on her hips in admonishment as she lightly chastised;

"Gwenna, why are you not resting and where is your oxygen?"

Quickly she approached the chair as she sternly addressed;

"You are going to get back in that bed this minute."

Motioning towards, Lucas, Gwenna explained;

"I wanted to find out what happened to my daughter, Ellen, and thank Sheriff Buck for what he did for her today. From what I understand he saved Little One's life and the least that I can do is thank the man."

Holding his hand up, Lucas shook his head;

"You don't have to thank me, ma'am, it was my pleasure, I assure you. I need to get back to the station and sign those reports anyway."

Turning to Dara and oblivious to the two elder women's presence, he took her hand as he ventured;

"If you need anything at all, you just pick up the phone and let me know. When you're feeling better we'll have dinner."

With that, he placed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand as he stated;

"Good night, sweet lady. I hope that you feel better soon."

Rising to his full height he turned to the two elder women, who were staring at him in shock as he nodded;

"Good night. It was very nice to meet you, Gwenna and it was nice to see you again, Mrs. Adams."

Motioning toward Dara, he addressed them;

"Take care of my girl here."

With that, he left them, sitting in shock until they heard the front door close and the sound of a car motor as it pulled away.

Being the first to recover, Dara sought to divert her thoughts as she addressed a more immediate concern;

"Come on, Mama, let's get you back on your oxygen and in your bed and then we'll see about getting you fed."

With Mrs. Adams assistance, Dara was able to have her mother settled and comfortable with little effort. Once she had made certain that her mother's oxygen was back in place and on the correct setting, Dara sat on the edge of her mother's hospital bed as Mrs. Adams advised;

"I stopped and got some supper for us, I'll go get it good and warm."

Dara nodded as she offered;

"I'll be along in a second."

After the woman left the room, she turned to her mother as she demanded;

"Mama, why would you tell him that I would go out to dinner with him? You've never interfered in my dating life before."

Shifting in her bed as she motioned to her side, Gwenna waited until her daughter had laid next to her as she did when she was a child, with her arm around her as Dara's head rested on her chest. Absently, she found herself twirling the curling tresses of her child's hair, as she did when the girl was small, before venturing;

"Dara, Little One, tell me honestly, do you like this man?"

Sighing in resignation, Dara knew that trying to hide anything from her mother was a useless endeavor. One of the aspects of her mother's character that Dara had always found amazing and had come to count on was the fact that, no matter what it was, Gwenna always seemed to know when something was bothering her children, especially her youngest child. Tilting her head to look into her mother's eyes, she tried to put her feelings into words;

"Mama, I just met him a short time ago."

Shaking her head, Gwenna admonished;

"That isn't an answer Dara Cherice."

Dara sat, silent, as she pondered her own emotions. Logically, she felt it was too soon to say yes or no to such a question, however, she couldn't deny that she felt flattered when she learned how Lucas had taken matters into his own hands to make certain that she was safe as well as his invitation to dinner. Rising to turn and lock eyes with her mother, she bit at her bottom lip in indecision as she swallowed hard;

"I don't know, Mama. I can't say that I wasn't flattered that he put himself in harm's way to help me today, or by his dinner invitation. But, maybe that's simply because of what I did to make sure that Caleb stayed safe."

The tenderness that she felt for her child evident in her eyes as she brought her hand up to place on her daughter's cheek, careful of the bruising, Gwenna gave a slight shake of her head;

"Little One, I can assure you of one thing, without a doubt, that man did not do what he did today simply because of what you did for his son. He did it because he CARES for you; there are some things that you can fake, but I don't believe those types of feelings fall into that category."

Seeing the turmoil that her daughter was going through, Gwenna patted her hand as she suggested;

"Sweetie, I'm not saying that you should make a decision right this second but I think that, in all fairness, you at least owe it to yourself to go have dinner with him and then judge from there. Fair enough?"

Dara couldn't help but smile as she questioned;

"You're not going to give me a break on this, are you, Mama?"

Gwenna shook her head vehemently;

"No, I'm not. If you find that you really don't like or enjoy his company, then that's one thing, Dara, but, I'm not going to let you miss out on something that might be worthwhile because you're too afraid to take a chance."

Although she wanted to argue with her mother, Dara knew that she really couldn't offer a valid reason that would sway the woman's opinion, so to that end she finally agreed;

"Alright, Mama, I'll go and I promise that I will be open minded and fair."

Before Gwenna could reply, Mrs. Adams entered the room bearing a tray with Gwenna's evening meal. Dara took the opportunity to excuse herself as she made her way to the kitchen to find her own sustenance. She had just taken a seat at the kitchen table as Mrs. Adams entered the room and nodded her silent approval as saw that Dara had begun her meal. Busying herself with clearing up the dishes from the meal, she waited until the girl had finished with her plate before motioning to the chair across from her;

"Would you mind if I sat with you for a few minutes?"

Shaking her head, Dara eagerly offered;

"No, please by all means."

Once she had settled in her seat with a cup of coffee, Mrs. Adams glanced covertly at the girl over the rim of her cup as she began her line of inquiry;

"Dara, dear, how is it that you know Lucas Buck, I mean, I know that he was there today and that you weren't able to drive so he brought you home. But, I get the impression that there is something more there then just him doing his civic duty. How did you come into contact with him?"

Unable to prevent herself from giving the woman an odd look, Dara couldn't help but wonder at Mrs. Adam's questions; she made Lucas sound as though he were some contagious disease that should be avoided at all costs. Finally, she offered;

"Well, my office is across the street from the Sheriff's office and when I was moving my things in he helped me with some boxes. Now, I'm counseling his son, Caleb. Why do you ask?"

Mrs. Adams chose her words carefully;

"Tell me exactly what happened today."

Sighing as she began thinking of the events of the day, Dara shook her head;

"You know, I honestly can't remember most of it, I was unconscious for a while."

Unwilling to let the matter go, she demanded;

"Do you remember any of Lucas' actions?"

Dara thought carefully and, remembering what Caleb had told her, nodded her head;

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do. Caleb told me when I came to about how his father had broken the gunman's jaw."

Although she had the feeling that she already knew the answer, Mrs. Adams still asked;

"Did he give you any reason for why he did it?"

Dara couldn't help but stare at the woman questioningly as she thought; _'Why is she asking me all of these questions about Lucas Buck of all people?'_ Sighing in thinly veiled frustration, she nodded;

"Well, I did ask him, he said that it made him angry because the man had struck me. I'll admit that it was a little unnecessary, but I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't flattered, why?"

Squaring her shoulders, Mrs. Adams decided that someone needed to warn the girl about Lucas Buck and if not her, then who?

"Dear, I realize that he is an attractive and very charming man. But, there is something dark and dangerous about him as well. Earlier, when he referred to you as 'his girl', I don't believe that he was joking. Something tells me that he considers you to be his. Please understand, I'm not trying to persuade you in one direction of the other, but judge for yourself. Lucas can make things happen in this town."

Unable to prevent herself from chuckling humorously, Dara quipped; 

"I thought that was his job, Mrs. Adams. I mean, I would think that would be a welcome change; a politician who can make things happen."

Seeing that there was no amusement on the older woman's face, Dara couldn't help but cast a look of disbelief as she demanded;

"Surely you're joking, you can't be serious. Just exactly who is he supposed to be; the devil himself?"

Sighing sadly in resignation that she may well be wasting her efforts as well as breath, Mrs. Adams ventured;

"That's what some say; others say he's a demon and still others; a man who has no heart, soul or conscience. There are other derivations, but they all seem to run on the same line of thought."

The disbelief on her face evident as well as the sorrow in her eyes, Dara shook her head vehemently;

"I don't believe you. I'm sorry, but I simply don't."

Mrs. Adams sighed as she nodded her head in understanding.

"Somehow, I knew that you wouldn't; but all that I can ask is that you judge for yourself. Do your own investigation; there are things that aren't so easily explained away where that man is concerned. Do you know about Gail Emory?"

Thinking for a moment, Dara recalled;

"That's Caleb's cousin, the one who died. Lucas told me about her."

Despite her efforts to the contrary, Mrs. Adams couldn't constrain the sarcastic tone that her voice held as she demanded;

"Did he also tell you the she put a gun in her mouth and pulled the trigger after burning what was left of her parent's newspaper office? This, mind you, was after she had recovered from the coma that she had lapsed into after having suffered a miscarriage; mind you he was the father of the child. You know that Caleb belongs to him, but did he happen to mention how Caleb's mother died, or the fact that Judith Temple was married to another man when Caleb was conceived? There are other things as well; just ask Selena Coombs or Dr. Crower, there's a man who could tell you a great deal about Sheriff Buck. He had Matt committed to Juniper House after he tried to shoot Lucas; of course no one understands why Matt tried to kill him."

Placing her hand over Dara's she softened her tone as she beseeched;

"All that I'm asking is that you keep yourself distanced from the man until you reach your own conclusions; he tends to have a powerful hold on people."

Before anything more could be said they heard the bell from Gwenna's room. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to hide her concern over her conversation with Mrs. Adams from her mother, Dara turned to the woman;

"Would you mind going? I'd like to go ahead and take my shower and maybe turn in a little early."

Seeing the concern on the young girl's face, Mrs. Adams silently shook her head as she began to rise from her chair, only to find her progress halted as Dara grabbed her hand;

"I appreciate your concern, but not one word about any of this to Mama. I don't want her to worry about anything more than can possibly be helped."

Nodding her agreement as the girl released her hand, she vowed;

"I promise, I won't say anything."

Dara sat mulling over the older woman's words for a few minutes before she pushed her chair back from the table and made her way to her bedroom.

Even as she stood letting the warm water of the shower wash over her to ease the tension from her body she couldn't help but think about Mrs. Adams' words. She didn't doubt that her warning was coming from a place of caring and concern, but at the same time she also couldn't dismiss her mother's earlier advice either.

Deciding that nothing was going to be accomplished by letting herself become mired in confusion over the subject of Lucas Buck, she quickly finished rinsing her hair before stepping from the shower and wrapping a towel around her body. Once she had finished towel drying the curling mass and brushed it out, she slipped her gown on before crawling into her bed to flip the switch on her bedside lamp, covering the room in veiled darkness. As soon as she laid her head on her pillow she fell asleep; that's when her dreams began.

She had never dreamed anything like this; ever! She was standing on the pier at the river in her gown; the gentle breeze swirling the silky material around her body, as well as blowing her long hair around her like a gossamer curtain. She turned towards the water to enjoy the coolness and the sound of the lapping waves as the current carried the water to break upon the edges of the banks. Feeling a presence behind her she turned to find Lucas Buck standing there, staring into her eyes as if he had lost himself in their depths.

Saying nothing, he simply began running his hands up and down her arms as if he was trying to bring warmth into her body. Feeling the beginning of a flickering of heat at the center of her being, Dara found herself searching his eyes as she asked;

"What is it that you want from me?"

The Lucas of her dream gently placed his finger under her chin to lift her face before descending to take possession of her mouth, kissing her in a way that Dara had not thought could exist. Beginning very tenderly, he then deepened the kiss until Dara thought that she would shatter into a million tiny pieces, lifting his mouth from hers', he replied;

I want you, EVERYTHING that there is to you; your heart, your mind, your body and your soul; but most of all I want your love."

Suddenly, Dara shot upright in her bed and realized that she had been dreaming. The memories of her dream flooding her mind she couldn't help but blush as she glanced around the room. Noticing the open window she couldn't help but think aloud;

"That's strange, I thought that I closed it, I guess I must have forgotten it."

With that she got up and crossed the space between her bed and the window to push it down before latching it. She couldn't be quite certain, but she thought that she saw the figure of a man outside by the trees close to the river. Shaking her head, she lightly admonished;

"I'm seeing things, it must be the medication."

With that last thought, she got back into her bed and once again fell asleep, this time without dreaming.

Outside, standing next to the Cypress tree by the riverbank, Lucas Buck stood looking at the window, watching as the room was once more cloaked in darkness. He knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that he wanted her more than ever; no, he didn't want her, he needed her. Although he couldn't quite admit it to himself yet, he knew that, deep within himself, he loved her. He had wanted to take her in what she thought was a dream, but he knew that if he was to truly have all of her that he would have to go slow with her. Although he realized shortly after he had met her that she was vastly different from the others, Lucas knew without a doubt that she was definitely not like the rest; Judith, Selena, Gail, Sabbath and Jana. Even Jana, who he had cared for deeply and wanted desperately, hadn't possessed this much power over him. They had all loved the sex, had even craved it.

However, Dara was different; he knew that for her there wasn't such a thing as sex without love. He couldn't help but admit to himself that, truth be told, he didn't want to simply 'have sex with her', he wanted to make love to her and to cherish her the way that he had never done with the others. Lucas realized that he wanted to give her pleasure instead of pain, as had been the case with the others. Another first that he found himself shocked to admit was the fact that he couldn't deny that when he considered the idea of having a child with this woman it wasn't because he was anxious for an heir to carry on the traditions of the Buck family; it was because he wanted a child that was a part of himself and the woman he loved, something he had never considered before.

Lucas believed that if he went slowly and showed her that he truly loved her and that whatever had been before in his life would change that she would love him in return. He would start tomorrow, Selena needed to go; permanently! He knew that Dara would never accept sharing him with another woman and, more importantly, he didn't want her to share; he knew that everything that he had to give was hers' for the asking. His mind set on his course of action, Lucas left the riverbank as quietly as he had come.

Walking through his front door, Lucas was greeted by the sound of his telephone ringing off the hook. Realizing that the machine must not be on, he swore to himself;

"Damn, I must've forgotten to turn it on when I left this morning."

Thinking that it could be Ben or Caleb, he quickly snatched it from its cradle as he greeted;

"Hello?"

He cringed inwardly as the unmistakable voice of his grandmother, Lucilla Buck, blurted out, without tact;

"Boy, what do you think you're doing with that girl? You know the way that things are supposed to be and she doesn't fit into it anywhere."

'_Damn', _he thought; _'why couldn't she just leave him alone or lie down and die; anything, just stay the hell out of his personal life.' _

He could hear her tsk, tsk, at the other end, realizing that she had fathomed his thoughts, he wasn't shocked as she ventured;

"Now you know that I can't lie down until I know that I've got another great grand son. You know better than that, Lucas."

Giving careful consideration to his words for a moment, Lucas knew that it was better for him to solidify his position on the matter with her now as opposed to waiting and, possibly, subjecting Dara to any unpleasantness that might result if he procrastinated. Although he was frustrated with her now, Lucas' grandmother was the closest thing to a mother that he had known; having raised him after his own mother had abandoned him and his father had died when he was a boy, that being the case he would prefer her support and blessing. However, whether she approved or not, he had no intentions of letting her come between he and Dara. Finally, he made his declaration;

"Alright, Mama, since you want to discuss this matter, then let me tell you HOW it's going to be. The deal is that if you get another great grandchild it's either going to by this woman or no one at all. And before you even begin to think about it, if she comes to any sort of harm thanks to something you've done, you won't have to worry about your time coming; I'll deliver you to the River Styx myself. De we understand each other?"

The other end of the receiver became conspicuously silent as Lucilla pondered this new dilemma; she had to admit that there weren't anymore Cross women, the girl who Lucas had been interested in that died in a car wreck had been the last of that family's line. Considering how adamantly Lucas had been about his position, she considered that, just maybe; it was time for some new blood in the Buck family.

"Alright, boy, I get your meaning, no interference, at least from me. But, I am going to tell you this much, you're going to get some interference from some other areas; it seems that everyone wants the lamb to be able to spot the wolf; if you get my drift."

Having already considered that possibility, Lucas nodded;

"Yeah, I get you. But let me tell you something Mama Lucy, this one is different, and I don't intend for her to be treated like the rest; when I say 'I do', it's going to be for life and with her only. Understand?"

Hearing his grandmother chuckling at the other end, he wasn't surprised when she stated;

"Yeah, I understand. You just see that if you promise it to that girl that you keep your promise. She isn't going to go the way the other women did, Lucas, she's a strong woman, but something tells me that strength is just what's needed around here. Night, boy."

With that the phone went silent except for the clicking and dial tone. Placing the receiver back on the hook, Lucas shook his head as he made his way up the staircase to his bedroom. After undressing and showering, Lucas crawled into his own bed; for the first time without the benefit of a warm body beside him, yet, he had no urge for another woman; if he couldn't have Dara, he didn't want anyone. He laid awake for, what seemed like, an eternity before he finally drifted off to sleep.

He could see her on the pier again, with her long fall of hair floating on the breeze all around her and her long gown billowing around her body, like a cloud of blue gossamer. He walked up to her and took her in his arms as she smiled invitingly up at him as he kissed her deeply. When he lifted his mouth from hers', she lifted her eyes to meet his as her voice floated over him like a velvet cloud, wrapping him in its warmth;

"I've been waiting for you to come to me."

He swept her up in his arms before walking a short distance to a place under one of the huge old Oak trees where the grass was as soft as feathers to lay her on her back as he shrugged out of his coat. As she began slowly unbuttoning his shirt, he began trailing his mouth over her throat and neck to follow her collarbone down to the area just above her breasts that was exposed by her gown. Gently, he began unbuttoning the top of her nightgown before sliding the fabric down her arms to bare her breasts to his hungry gaze as he began tracing a delicate pattern with his mouth. When he raised his head to look into her face, she looked into his eyes and said the words that he was desperate to hear;

"I do love you; please make me yours'."

Lucas suddenly woke form his dream, full of wonder and aggravation.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

Ben was the first to feel the heat of Lucas' temper; he had taken a message from the District Attorney about the charges to be filed against the Lowder brothers and after having seen the look on Lucas' face as he had made his way to his private office earlier that morning, he now cautiously poked his head in the doorway as he informed him;

"Lucas, Daniels just called about the charges on the Lowder boys."

Glancing up from the paperwork on his desk, Lucas became quickly aggravated by the way Ben seemed to be forestalling giving him the information.

"Well, what is it? You can see that I'm busy, or are you just going to stand there playing door prop?"

Steadying himself for the storm that he knew was about to break, Ben forewarned;

"You're not going to like this, but the only thing that Daniels said he is going for is the armed robbery and the assault with a deadly weapon on the guard."

Ben wasn't shocked as he saw the storm clouds beginning to gather in Lucas' face as he demanded;

"What the hell do you mean 'that's all he's going for?' He's aware of the other incidents that took place, right?"

Ben sighed as he prepared to repeat the explanation that Daniels had given him. He, no more than Lucas, was happy about the situation, however, he also had no control or say in the matter either.

"Lucas, he said that he had to dismiss the attempted murder charges, the kidnapping, reckless endangerment and the bodily assault charges to get Joe Lowder to drop his charges of excessive force and police brutality against you. Daniels said that it was actually a good deal because they would get the most time for the armed robbery and assault charges anyway."

Knowing what was coming as soon as he had finished his explanation, Ben wasn't shocked when Lucas threw his pen down on the desk to roughly shove his chair back and stalk around his desk towards his office door. Ben was forced to push himself against the wall to keep from being knocked out of the way. Lucas was madder than Ben had ever seen him before and he knew that if he had gotten in his way that he'd have only found himself caught in the stampede.

"Ben, I'm going over to the courthouse to talk to that moron, I'll be back shortly."

Watching as he slammed the outer office door with enough force to rattle every window in the building, Floyd turned to Ben as he stepped out of Lucas' office;

"Ben, are you thinking what I am?"

Nodding his head in agreement, having already guessed what Floyd was considering, Ben offered;

"Yeah, I do. Lucas Buck has run into something bigger than what he is and you know what the funny thing about it is, Floyd?"

A puzzled look crossing his features, Floyd demanded;

"What's that, Ben?"

Turning with a broad grin on his face, Ben ventured;

"The package that's holding the contents can't be taller than about five feet two inches or weigh more than about one hundred and ten pounds. Who says that dynamite has to come in a big package to pack an explosion?"

Both Ben and Floyd had a conspiring grin on their faces; somehow, they both knew that things were going to get a lot more interesting around Trinity.

Lucas stalked across the street to the County Courthouse; normally everyone that he saw would throw up their hand in greeting and offer a 'morning, Sheriff', but not this morning. Lucas' anger was wrapped around him like a dark cloak, one that could possibly swallow anyone who got in its path.

Shoving the door marked 'District Attorney' roughly open, Lucas focused on Lou Ella Jones, Daniels secretary as he demanded;

"Where's that horse's ass who masquerades as a lawyer that you work for?"

Finding herself unable to speak in the face of Lucas Buck's obvious anger, Lou Ella simply pointed in the direction of the inner office. Lucas stalked past her desk, leaving a relieved Lou Ella in his wake, grateful that she wasn't the object of his anger.

Lucas threw the inner door open, allowing it to slam against the wall, to knock pictures off the wall as he thundered;

"What the hell do you mean that you're dropping the assault charges, Daniels?"

Having just concluded a phone conversation when Lucas burst in, John Daniels took in the obvious angry mood clouding the man's face. He had heard a few rumors about the new woman in town and how Buck seemed a little too eager to assist her; now, he had the feeling that he was about to come face to face with the reasons for it. He never thought that Lucas Buck would react anything like this about the charges being dropped. He had seen the women in this man's life mistreated more than once, and never had Buck interfered with the actions that Daniels had taken in his capacity as D.A. This time, however, he had the feeling that things were going to be very different. Holding his hands up in a pleading manner he suggested;

"Lucas, calm down. Joe Lowder was going to press charges against you for his injuries. I convinced him to drop the charges; in exchange we'll dismiss the assault and attempted murder charges for Ms. Chambers and his brother. The biggest charge was the armed robbery anyway, that one will stick. He'll have the book thrown at him for that one."

Sitting back in his chair, Daniels smiled benevolently at Lucas, as though he should be happy with the decision.

Having calmed considerably, Lucas focused his full attention as he realized, not for the first time, just how much of a typical cliché for a middle aged lawyer John Daniels truly was. With his thinning and receding hairline as well as the middle age spread that belied any type of physical exertion on his part, he could have been the spokesman for the brotherhood of such men. Crossing his arms over his chest, Lucas inquired;

"John, who helped you to become D.A. by taking you out of that struggling little nothing of a practice and got you behind that big desk?"

Blanching at the reminder of the debt that he owed the man sitting across from him now, Daniels sighed. He knew that this day was coming; the day that he paid for the deal that he had made with Trinity's devil. Deciding to try reasoning, he pleaded;

"You helped me, Lucas; and like I told you before, I appreciated it. But I've got a job to do for the people who voted for me."

Staring at the man with a combined look of disgust and anger, Lucas speculated;

"Exactly how long do you think that the voters are going to want you behind that desk working for them when they find out about your weakness for pretty, young, and 'young' being the operative word here, girls? I don't think that they would want you defending their honor then, do you, John?"

Hanging his head in defeat, knowing that he had no arguments left to give, Daniels asked in a defeated tone;

"What do you want me to do, Lucas?"

Sitting on the edge of the desk and folding his arms across his broad chest, Lucas smiled at the other man like a parent telling their child that a shot won't hurt as he explained;

"Relax, John; all I want from you is justice."

Although the shock was apparent on his features, it was quickly replaced with suspicion as he demanded;

"What kind of 'justice' are we talking about here, Lucas?"

Narrowing his gaze, Lucas answered solemnly;

"Real justice; I want you to reinstated the charges, ALL of the charges. And I don't care how you do it, but whatever other charges get turned over, I want every single one of the charges dealing with Dara Chambers to stick to Joe Lowder."

Choosing his words carefully, Daniels eyes Lucas as his voice took on a tone of trepidation;

"What about the police brutality charges, what about those?"

Shrugging, Lucas advised him;

"My deputies will back me up; I'm not worried about those charges. But whatever else they pay for; I want them to pay for what they did to that girl. Do we understand each other?"

Nodding his agreement, Daniels vowed;

"I understand Lucas, don't worry, I'll make them stick."

Walking to the door, Lucas stopped and turned as he considered;

"I'm sure you will, John. It's nice to know that Trinity has such a devoted public servant."

With that, he pulled the door closed behind him as left the office.

As he was heading back to his office, Lucas noticed Mrs. Adams coming from Dara's office. Deciding to see how she was faring, he hurried up the sidewalk to catch the woman before she could reach her car.

"Good morning, Mrs. A, how's our favorite girl doing this morning?"

Turning to cast a wary glance at Lucas Buck, Mrs. Adams sighed in frustration. She had hoped to avoid seeing the man altogether, but since he had spotted her she decided that she wasn't going to back away either. Deciding that she needed to make the point that he had no claim on Dara whatsoever, she scathingly replied;

"Ms. Chambers is fine, Sheriff. She slept well and is feeling much better today, thank you."

Deciding that he wasn't in the mood to engage in a tête-à-tête with the matron, as well as addressing her open hostility, Lucas asked;

"You don't care very much for me, do you Mrs. Adams; exactly what is it that you have against me?" 

Deciding that, for Dara's sake, it was best to give him her true feelings, Mrs. Adams answered honestly;

"As long as you stay away from Dara, absolutely nothing."

Feigning a look of innocence, Lucas asked, his ire rising;

"Now what harm could I do to her?"

Not backing away from his obvious challenge, Mrs. Adams listed, what she considered, several possibilities;

"Well, let's be honest, Sheriff, shall we? You are a very hurtful and manipulative person who enjoys destroying and bringing pain and suffering to others. If I didn't know any better I would think that you're the devil himself. I understand your attraction to Dara, but I don't want to see her end up the town tramp, like Selena Coombs, or dead like Sabbath Lightfoot, or, God forbid, taking her own life like Gail Emory or Judith Temple. So if you have any kindness in you at all or a heart; you'll leave her alone. Besides, at the moment she has more than her share of problems and misery to deal with; which I'm sure is only going to increase before much longer I'm afraid."

Mrs. Adams became suddenly aware of his probing eyes on her and realized that she may have, perhaps, said more than what she had meant to. With that, she decided that it was time for her leave before she betrayed Dara's trust any further. She wasn't shocked when she felt Lucas place hi hand on her arm as he pleaded;

"Wait, please. What did you mean by; 'she has her share of problems and misery'?"

Studying his eyes carefully, she found herself shocked by what she saw reflected in their dark depths; concern and caring, something that she didn't think he even knew the meaning of. She had expected to find anger and resentment at her harsh words, so this reaction was a definite surprise.

Lucas wanted to know desperately what the misery in Dara's life was. Although she had always presented a bubbly personality, he could sense and underlying sadness in her that he wanted to make right. Mrs. Adams, seeing the turn that his thoughts were taking, placed her hand on his arm as she shook her head;

"Lucas, I'm sorry if I sound hard, but you are a dangerous man, especially to someone with Dara's spirit. I think that you do truly care for her, but what you're thinking, please don't do it; don't offer her one of your 'deals' to fix this for her. She wouldn't take it for one, and for two, it's God's way for the way that things are meant to happen. All that I can tell you is that if you truly care then find whatever goodness there is in you and let that make your decision where she is concerned."

Jerking his arm from under her grasp, Lucas gave her a venomous look as he seethed;

"I don't see where this is any of your business, as you pointed out, she's a big girl who can make her own decisions."

Sighed as she nodded, Mrs. Adams offered;

"Yes, you're right, she is; but I tell you this for your own sake. If you're thinking about offering her what I think you are; don't, she'll hate you for it. Just allow whatever happens to happen, and please, I beg of you, don't hurt her. She's strong, but her strength is being tested right now; if you truly care just be a leaning post; very soon she's going to need one."

With her final words of advice, she got into her car and left Lucas to ponder her statement.

Having gone back to his office, Lucas sat at his desk the remainder of the day, pondering over Mrs. Adams words. He found himself contemplating the idea of going to Dara's house to see how she was for himself when he heard a commotion in the outer office and a familiar female voice.

Selena Coombs sauntered past Ben, ignoring his protests and warning that Lucas didn't want to be disturbed. Turning she offered a look of disbelief as she ventured;

"I'm sure that he'll make an exception for me, Ben."

With that she made her way to his office door, pushing the portal open she strolled across the space to make herself comfortable on the corner of Lucas' desk.

Noticing that she was wearing her usual uniform of a tight black leather mini-skirt and semi transparent white blouse, Lucas looked up at her, the irritation rising at the gall that she possessed as he demanded;

"Is there something that you need, Ms. Coombs?"

Sensing his mood, Selena decided that she was in the mood to tease him as she offered in a low, husky tone;

"I just came by to congratulate the hero. I assume that you were too busy last night tending to the maiden fair; that's why you didn't come by."

Having decided that he needed to end his involvement with Selena, permanently, Lucas realized that this was his opportunity to accomplish his goal as he allowed her to play her lead to the end of the line; at least as far as he was concerned. With this in mind he asked;

"What's the matter, darlin, you miss me last night?"

Feeling that she had the upper hand at this point, Selena placed a small pout on her seductive mouth.

"You know that I did."

Noticing the newspaper on his desk that told the story of the robbery and assault on Dara; complete with a photo of from her hospital employee file, Selena picked it up as she spared a momentary glance at the photo of Dara.

"I think that I could almost feel jealous over little Snow White here."

Taking the paper from her grasp, Lucas studied the photo and looked into the eyes, which although the photo was printed in black and white, were still able to captivate him. Laying the paper back on his desk, he turned to Selena as he grinned maliciously;

"You feeling jealous over the little lady, darlin?"

Playing along, Selena continued pouting although she now wore a simpering smile as she nodded;

"Yeah, I think that I am."

Bringing her lips towards his mouth, as if she was going to kiss him, she felt him grasp her shoulders, as though to return the action before asking in a quiet voice;

"Well, you know what?"

Looking up at him as she batted her eyes, Selena simpered;

"What?"

Just as she was a breath away from his lips she heard him state;

"You should."

Stopping abruptly, Selena opened her eyes and asked in disbelief;

"What did you say?"

Abruptly removing his hands from her shoulders, Lucas sat in his chair as he reiterated;

"I said that you should feel jealous of her."

Staring at him in disbelief, Selena demanded;

"What do you mean I should feel jealous? I have you in my bed, she doesn't and I know that she's just too pure to drop into bed with you."

Glancing at her pathetically, Lucas ventured;

"You mean like a common tramp, like someone I could name?"

Reaching across the desk, Selena slapped him soundly across his cheek;

"You bastard!"

Shaking his head in pity, Lucas shrugged;

"Come on, Selena, you have your fun on the side. I don't love you and you don't love me. All that you love is the sex and that power, that's all that you've ever loved."

Fuming in rage at him, Selena demanded;

"So what now; are you going to play house with the little bit…?"

Before she could finish her sentence, Lucas had grabbed her throat to slam her against the wall as he held her tightly before seething;

"Let me set you straight on some things, 'darlin'. First of all, as long as you live, don't you ever refer to her like that again; you don't know anything about her so you have no right to slander her. If I ever hear you talk about her like that again, I'll take that pretty little mouth that you prize so highly and sew it up myself."

Squirming to loosen the hold that he had on her throat, Selena challenged;

"Do you know anything about her to say that she's not one?"

Glaring at her daringly, Lucas declared;

"Yes, I know that she's a lady, which you'll never be and a hell of a lot more woman than you're ever going to be. Now, get this straight, Selena; this is over, not like it was with Judith, Gail or Sabbath, it's TOTALLY over. I don't want you and that's the end of it. And by the way, I know how that vicious little tongue and mind of yours' works so get this one TOTALLY straight, because believe me; your life depends on it. Don't EVEN think about trying to get even with her, or with me through her. If anything happens; you're the first one that I'll be paying a visit to. Do we understand each other, Ms. Coombs?"

The dangerous glint in his eyes obvious, Selena knew that he was most definitely serious about this woman; there wouldn't be any revenge, or trying to get her out of the way. Lucas was willing to kill for her and Selena valued her neck way too much to push the issue on the matter. Besides, there were other men out there, maybe not as interesting as Lucas Buck, but at least she would live to try and find one. Finally, she nodded;

"I understand you, Lucas. I promise, I won't try to do anything."

Releasing her as he turned back towards his desk, Lucas glanced over his shoulder as he sat down and picked up the earlier discarded stack of reports;

"See that you keep that promise, Selena. I intend to keep mine."

Casting a sideways glance as she opened the door, Selena left his office as she pulled the door closed behind her. Noticing Ben's look of sympathy, she decided that she had nothing to lose as she approached him;

"Ben, I know that you heard, what is it about her, can you tell me?"

Feeling pity as he studied her, Ben shook his head;

"No, Selena, I honestly don't know what it is; she's the sweetest person that you would ever want to meet, honest. But exactly what his feelings are for her, I don't know, but I will tell you this; whatever they are, they're deep and strong."

Nodding her thanks for his confidence, Selena turned to leave as Ben offered;

"Selena, for your own sake, don't do anything. He meant what he said about her; I think that he'd fight the devil himself over her and never even question it."

Offering him a sad look, Selena shrugged;

"Ben, what's the point in it? She's won without even fighting so why even bother. Besides, there are more fish in the seas, and I intend on doing a lot of fishing."

With that, she sashayed out the door, leaving Ben shaking his head.

Deciding to follow his first course of action, Lucas grabbed his jacket as he headed out the door. 

"Ben, I'm off duty, if you need me, page me. Got it?"

Glancing up from the stack of files that he was working on, he nodded;

"Sure thing, Lucas; by the way, I have something for you."

Reaching in his desk drawer, Ben produced an envelope and handed it to Lucas. Curious, Lucas opened it to find it full of money. Looking up at Ben in puzzlement, he demanded;

"What the hell is this for, Ben?"

Hoping that he wasn't about to bring on another storm from Lucas' temper, Ben answered tentatively;

"Well, me and the boys took up a collection to buy Ms. Chambers some flowers. We're all real fond of Caleb, I think that you know that, and we appreciate the fact that she deliberately put herself in harm's way to keep him from coming to any hurt. But, we were wondering if you would take care of the flowers for us, we're not too good in that department."

Shaking his head at his deputy, Lucas allowed himself a small smile as he nodded;

"I think that was really nice of you boys, Ben. I was just headed to the florist myself so I'll be happy to take care of it."

Ben couldn't help but be shocked at the genial way that Lucas had accepted his explanation. He quickly realized that, ever since he had set eyes on Dara, Lucas Buck was becoming a man full of surprises. Giving that fact some serious thought, Ben sincerely hoped that, for the two of them, they would be good surprises.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

Sitting at her desk in the small alcove area off of the living room that had been set up as a small home office, Dara was going over the monthly bills when the doorbell rang. Knowing that Mrs. Adams was in the process of giving her mother a breathing treatment, she, loudly, rushed to assure her;

"I'VE GOT IT MRS. ADAMS!"

Approaching the portal, she inquired;

"Who is it?"

The voice on the other side of the door replied;

"Delivery, Ma'am."

Dara opened the door and found herself surprised to find Lucas Buck standing there with one arm full of flowers and one behind his back. Realizing that she was pleasantly shocked by his appearance, as well as remembering her dream from the night before, Dara blushed delicately before raising her delicately arched eyebrow in question;

"Let me guess, your second job?"

Unable to prevent himself from doing so, Lucas smiled at the light tone of her mood as he shook his head;

"I never could resist the opportunity to bring a pretty lady some flowers."

Handing her the flowers, he explained;

"The wildflowers are from the guys at the station, the pink roses are from Caleb and this,"

Bringing his arm from behind his back, he produced a stuffed unicorn with a bouquet of red roses attached to the collar before he continued;

"Is from me."

Biting at her lip momentarily, Dara couldn't help but smile; she had never been so overwhelmed. Offering a slight laugh of amusement;

"Not that I mind, but would you care to tell me why I deserve such special treatment; I've never seen so many flowers, outside of a florist, in my life."

Just as he had stepped through the entryway and closed the door but before he could answer her query, her mother could be heard in the living room, demanding;

"Dara, sweetie, who is it?"

Motioning for him to follow her, Dara made her way to the living room before answering brightly;

"Mama, it's Lucas."

Following her into the room he couldn't help but notice just how frail her mother seemed to appear as opposed to the last time that he saw her; but before he could speculate on the woman's condition any further, he found himself eagerly greeted;

"Lucas! This is a pleasant surprise."

Noticing the abundance of flowers as well as the stuffed unicorn, she demanded;

"Now don't tell me, you didn't think that my daughter had planted enough flowers in her garden out front."

Shaking his head at her light mood as he offered her a sincere smile;

"No ma'am. The boys at the station are very fond of Caleb so they all chipped in and wanted to get your daughter some flowers as a thank you for what she did for him and Caleb insisted on buying her some flowers as well and,"

Nodding to the large stuffed animal tucked under his arm, he continued;

"I saw this fella and, somehow, thought that your daughter might be willing to give him a good home."

Reaching under the collar, he withdrew another bouquet that Dara had failed to notice of various wildflowers mixed with roses and, after setting the toy in a nearby chair, crossed the space to hand them to the elder woman as he offered;

"I thought that these my brighten your day,"

Casting a thoughtful glance in Dara's direction before turning back to face Gwenna, he continued;

"At least as much as your beautiful daughter does."

Gwenna studied the flowers for a moment as a look of nostalgia came over her face. A small strange smile crossed her features as she turned to Dara;

"Do these remind you of anything, Little One?"

Dara approached her mother's chair as she knelt down and touched her mother's arm as she nodded;

"Yes, Mama, they do."

Lucas' brow furrowed as he noticed the clear oxygen hose on Gwenna's face, however, he didn't feel that now was the appropriate time to ask any questions without the appearance of prying. Before he could consider the matter any further, Gwenna addressed him;

"Lucas, I don't think that you know just what this means to me."

Motioning to her daughter, Gwenna explained;

"My other children always seemed too occupied to do so when they were little, but when she was a little girl and she would go outside to play there was one thing that I could always be assured of; if there were any flowers in bloom and she came across them, Dara was going to pick them and bring them home for me."

Taking a delicate sniff of the bouquet, she smiled genuinely as she offered;

"Thank you so much for this."

Nodding, he offered a simple;

"You're more than welcome."

Turning her glance to the stuffed toy that Lucas had set in the chair, she demanded;

"Now how did you know that Dara loves unicorns?"

Glancing at the toy, Lucas simply shrugged as he offered;

"I really didn't, but when I saw it, I just thought that it seemed like something she would enjoy so I wanted to get it for her."

Dara didn't miss the knowing glance that her mother cast her at Lucas' statement and seeking to turn the topic in a different direction she motioned to the flowers as she suggested;

"Mama, I think that I should get these flowers in some water, they certainly will brighten the house up a good bit."

With that she took the bouquet from her mother's hands as she motioned to the other flowers before suggesting;

"Lucas, would you like to help me?"

Taking his cue, Lucas nodded as he gathered some of the bouquets and followed her in the direction of the kitchen. Once the door had been closed behind them and she had located and placed some vases on the center island in the kitchen, Dara, feeling embarrassment at not having already done so, offered her thanks;

"I'm sorry, I forgot to thank you, they're all beautiful, I especially love the unicorn, in case you missed Mama's gentle hint, I collect them."

Biting at her bottom lip in indecision as to how to address the subject, she finally stated simply;

"And thank you, most especially, for the flowers that you brought Mama. I think that you made her day."

Nodding, he remained silent as he lounged against the doorframe, taking in everything about her as she stood, arranging the flowers. He couldn't help himself from being amazed by her dark, reddish-gold hair that fell down her back to reach just above her waist, mixed with her creamy pale skin and her sea-green eyes whose shape reminded him of a cat's. Although she couldn't, by any means, be considered tall, he couldn't help but notice that, for her height, her legs were long and well shaped.

Dara could sense his gaze on her and turning to offer him a smile, offered;

"Would you like something to drink?"

Lucas had to shake himself mentally from his observations as he returned the smile before teasing;

"I don't know, just how Southern are you; how's your iced tea?"

Unable to stop herself, Dara laughed at his query; something that reminded Lucas of the sound of wind chimes, before quipping in an exaggerated Southern accent;

"Originally? Alabama; and my iced tea if extremely Southern, thank you very much."

Lucas couldn't help but laugh at the exaggeration of her Southern accent;

"Perfect! I'll take a glass please."

Pulling two glasses from the cupboard, Dara poured them both a glass before handing him his;

"Here you are, I hope that it's sweet enough."

Lucas took a sip and, on impulse, sat the glass on the counter before gently taking her hand and pulling her into a gentle embrace as he wrapped his arms around her;

"It's just like you are, Southern, sweet and perfect."

With that he bent down and gently kissed her.

Despite her earlier trepidation where this man was concerned, Dara found that she didn't object to the kiss at all. However, she couldn't seem to shake the feeling that this wasn't the first time that that he had kissed her; maybe it was her mind playing tricks on her from the dream she had the night before, but that was just a dream after all.

Sensing her beginning unease, Lucas ended the kiss and lifted his head to study her reaction. Still holding her in his arms, he apologized;

"I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't have done that, but I've been fighting the temptation of it since I first saw you."

Reluctantly, Lucas released her; trying to determine her feelings he searched her face.

At that moment, Dara was trying to fathom her feelings and wondering, even if she could understand what they were, if she would be safe in divulging them to the man standing in front of her. Finally, deciding to heed her mother's advice she placed her hand on his arm as she stared into his eyes before shaking her head;

"Please, don't be sorry, I'm very flattered; and I would be lying if I said that I minded you kissing me."

Following his impulse, Lucas pushed a stray wisp of hair away from her face as he ventured;

"Then have dinner with me; tomorrow night."

Biting at her bottom lip in indecision before remembering the promise that she had made to her mother, finally she brought her eyes up to meet his as she nodded;

"I'd love to."

Lucas couldn't help but grin before deciding to lighten the mood as he turned and grabbed two of the four vases;

"Where would you like these?"

Taking the cue, Dara took another vase, leaving one on the isle before making her way back into the living room. Pointing to the piano and the entry hall table as she placed the one she was holding on the coffee table as she explained;

"One on the piano and the other on the table will be fine, thank you."

Gwenna nodded at the flowers appreciatively as she observed;

"You were right, Little One, they do brighten the house up."

Dara took a seat on the sofa and motioned for Lucas to join her as she turned towards her mother, but before she could say anything, Lucas decided to take the initiative;

"Gwenna, I noticed that Dara's bruises seem to have faded away quite a bit, so would you have any objections if I took her to dinner tomorrow night?"

Shaking her head, Gwenna considered;

"No, Lucas, actually, I think that it would do her some good to get out of the house. Ellen and I were planning on watching a movie tomorrow night anyway; she would just be a third wheel."

Dara couldn't help but roll her eyes at her mother's jest before she turned to Lucas;

"Aside from the flowers and the dinner invitation, I'm assuming that there is something more to this visit?"

Having already assessed that she, like her mother, wasn't one for dancing around a topic, Lucas wasn't shocked by her inquiry. He was about to explain the other reason for his visit when Mrs. Adams appeared from the direction of, where he assumed, the bedrooms were located. Nodding, he greeted;

"Mrs. Adams."

Deciding that he would rather have their discussion in private, he suggested;

"You know, I noticed the pier behind your house on the river bank, I'd love to stretch my legs if you wouldn't mind taking a walk and showing it to me."

Dara considered a moment as she glanced at her mother before offering;

"Not that I would mind, but I need to get Mama settled so she can have her supper."

Shaking her head, Gwenna stalled the remainder of her daughter's objection;

"That's alright, Little One, Ellen can help me get settled and since you already cooked supper I'm sure that she won't mind fixing a plate for me."

Glancing up at the woman, she asked pointedly;

"Would you, Ellen."

Sparing a quick glance to the couple on the sofa before turning to Gwenna, Mrs. Adams considered a moment and realized that she had not been given any room to refuse. Shaking her head she replied;

"No, I don't mind."

Motioning to the door, Gwenna prodded;

"You go ahead and go on."

Finding that she had no reason left to offer, and finding she didn't want to offer one, Dara took the hand that Lucas offered and pulled herself up from the sofa as she shrugged;

"Okay, let's go."

Once she heard the door shut behind them, Mrs. Adams undertook the task of helping Gwenna back to her room and after having fixed them both a plate, joined her for the evening meal. After they had begun dining, she found she could no longer refrain from asking the question in the forefront of her mind;

"Gwenna, could I please ask you something?"

Glancing up at the woman she nodded as she waited patiently for her friend's query.

"Why, in Heaven's name, are you encouraging Lucas Buck's pursuit of your daughter? Surely you realize that he isn't exactly what he appears to be, at least not what he's appearing to be to you."

Calmly, Gwenna placed her fork on her tray as she primly folded her hands in her lap to ask;

"Ellen, what is it that you think I see when I look at that man; exactly?"

Taking a deep breath, she speculated;

"I'm not quite certain, a protector for Dara maybe; someone to look after her when you're no longer able to do so."

Mrs. Adams had been fully prepared to face a tirade, at the very least a display of anger, from the woman she had come to consider, not only a patient, but a friend as well. Realizing that no such episode would be erupting, she tilted her head in perplexity as she asked;

"Gwenna, what is it that you DO see when you look at Lucas Buck when it comes to Dara."

Placing a serene smile on her face she gave a slight shake of her head as she offered;

"When I look at the man, himself, I see someone who can be and more than likely is dangerous and possibly even cruel and hard hearted at times."

Nodding her head in agreement of the statement, Mrs. Adams confirmed;

"Yes, there are some who say that. But if that's what you see then why are you encouraging his attentions towards Dara?"

Her smile still in place, Gwenna continued;

"BUT, whenever he looks at Dara, none of that in his eyes; all that I have seen when he looks at her is caring and tenderness and, unless I miss my guess, love, although I'm not quite certain that he even realizes it himself yet."

Shaking her head sadly as she sought to put the woman's mind at ease, she continued;

"You see, Ellen, of all of my children, Dara is the most unselfish and self sacrificing of them all. When I became sick, Dara had the opportunity take a position at a hospital up north, they wanted her to head up a counseling department for children in crisis; she would have had the title as well as a very lucrative raise. She has no idea that I know about the offer but my daughter turned it down because she wasn't willing to leave me. The other children,"

Shrugging her shoulders, she continued;

"My two older girls, Mara and Kara; Mara married young to leave home when her father and I were having so many issues, I can't say that I exactly blame her, but she is divorced and lives in Texas with her child. Kara is married and lives back in Alabama with her family; the children's father, Alex, is in bad health himself so Kara helps to care for him, they were always close. Seth, well Seth will always be Seth; I love my son but I can't say that I like him very much. His answer when I became ill was a nursing home, Dara refused flatly."

Mrs. Adams couldn't help but notice the wistful look in the woman's eyes as she continued her explanation in regards to her youngest child;

"Dara, now she is vastly different from the others. She has always had this gift of being able to bring out the best in those around her, most especially those that she cares for. She has sacrificed a great deal throughout her life for everyone else's benefit; I want to know that, when I'm gone, she'll have, at least, a chance for happiness."

Staring at the woman in disbelief, Mrs. Adams demanded in a incredulous tone;

"Are you thinking that he's going to marry her?"

Shaking her head in denial, she pointed out;

"Gwenna, I'm sorry, but I simply don't see Lucas Buck marrying; anybody. He's never been married and quite frankly I don't see him doing so in the future. It's nothing against Dara because any man would be lucky and infinitely blessed to have her as his wife, but I'm afraid that, if that's what you're hoping for, you'll find yourself disappointed and, if she develops feelings for him, Dara will be hurt."

The smile of serenity on her face once more, Gwenna ventured;

"Ellen, there is something that I have always believed and that I passed on to my children, especially Dara; what's for you won't pass you by. Whatever is meant to happen will; as far as encouraging Lucas' attentions of my daughter? No, I'm simply not standing in the way or allowing her to use me as an excuse to hold her back. She's never been one to be man crazy, she's always been level headed, open and honest; I trust my daughter and respect whatever decision she makes in this matter."

Sighing in resigned acceptance, having no other choice, Mrs. Adams simply voiced her fervent hope;

"I hope that you're right, Gwenna, I just hope that you're right."

Glancing at her as they rounded the porch to descend the steps at the side of the house, Lucas couldn't help but notice how youthful she appeared as her mood seemed to lighten considerably as a breeze began blowing from the direction of the river. Giving in to his impulse, Lucas tentatively reached out and, gently, grasped her hand. He couldn't help but experience a moment of trepidation when she stopped and turned to look into his eyes before glancing down at their hands; thinking that she was about to object he found himself shocked as she curled her small fingers around his before looking up into his eyes as a gentle smile crossed her lips. Motioning towards the flowing water she suggested;

"Would you like to walk to the pier and sit in the swing?"

Nodding, he ventured;

"Considering the breeze coming from the river, I think that I'd enjoy that very much."

Although Dara had, initially, agreed to his earlier suggestion of a walk outside to escape the house and her mother and Mrs. Adams' curious eyes, she found herself enjoying Lucas' company, more than she had thought she might. Reaching the wooden structure, she motioned to the swing that was secured at the wide, deck size area that led to the narrower walkway that stretched over the water before explaining;

"Don't worry, it's sturdy enough. I had this built when I bought the house so it's new."

Following her lead, Lucas lowered himself into the canopied swing to sit next to her as they watched the lazy flow of the water as the evening sun, which was beginning to make it's descent into the Western sky, let its shimmering rays of light dance on the waves as they followed their path. Despite his attempts not to, he couldn't help himself from turning his head to study her as she sat watching the lazy play of the sun on the water while the breeze played with the stray wisps of hair that had managed to escape from the clasp she had used to hold the curling tresses together to fall down the length of her back, Lucas couldn't help but find himself thinking of her as something more ethereal than human.

Catching his perusal from the corner of her eye, Dara turned; 

"Is there something the matter?"

Shaking his head, he gave in to the temptation and reached his hand out to push her hair over her shoulder;

"No, quite the contrary actually."

Dara couldn't help but notice how his hand had lingered on her shoulder as his thumb began to gently caress the side of her neck. Deciding that, for the sake of the butterflies in her stomach, she should steer the topic in a different direction, she tilted her head to the side in curiosity as she reminded him;

"You said that there was another reason why you came by?"

Lucas found himself hard put to consider her question, especially with the setting sun behind her shining through her hair, reminding him of burgundy colored halo tinted with flecks of gold. Giving himself a slight mental shake he searched his mind as he nodded;

"Well, I thought that you might be interested in knowing what the charges on the Lowder boys were."

He knew that the incident had been, to say the least, traumatic for her, but when she subconsciously brought her hand up to tentatively touch her still slightly bruised cheek, he realized just how stressful it really must have been. Noticing how her eyes had turned a chilling shade of grayish green as if she were trying to hold her tears at bay, Lucas placed his finger gently under her chin to bring her eyes up to meet his as he offered softly;

"You know, you went through a hell of an experience and there's nothing wrong with feeling fear over what happened or for wanting to cry about it."

From the moment he had met her, Lucas knew that she was a stubborn and determined woman, but he wasn't quite prepared for the force of just how strong those traits were ingrained in her nature as she narrowed her eyes, which had changed to an almost glowing shade of emerald green as her chest heaved when she vowed;

"I'm not afraid of anything and I don't cry."

With that she stood abruptly as she stalked purposely down the length to the end of the pier. Lucas sat, shocked by her show of determined anger, trying to fathom what his next move should be. Normally, if a woman became angry he simply left her to seethe in anger and when he thought the storm had passed he would consider seeking her out. However, Dara was different; he knew that there was more to her display than simply showing her stubborn nature. Although he was certain that part of it was due, in part, to what she had suffered at Joe Lowder's hands, he also knew that there was something more as well, thanks mostly to his conversation with Mrs. Adams. He might not know exactly what was going on, but he knew that he wasn't going to leave it like this either, that being the case he followed her path to the end of the pier.

Dara stood at the end of the pier, leaning against the railing with her arms crossed on the wooden planks as she studied the lazy waves floating by her, as if they might hold some type of answer. She knew that Lucas was assuming that she was angry and, truth be told, she was; however, the problem was that it was more at herself for almost letting her emotions overwhelm her. Although she had told him that she wasn't afraid of anything she also knew that was a lie; she was most assuredly afraid of herself and the feelings that she was holding inside of herself; not just the feelings regarding the true nature of her mother's illness, but also the feelings she was fighting where Lucas Buck was concerned.

Even as she had stalked away from him in the hopes that he might simply decide to leave, not wanting to deal with her in her current mood; Dara knew that her efforts were going to prove futile and what she found even more disturbing to her was that she found herself relieved by the fact as she felt a hand on her shoulder as Lucas turned her to face him as he shook his head;

"It's no good, Dara, first of all, you're not going to scare me away, darlin; I don't care how much fire I see in those beautiful eyes of yours', I'm not going anywhere. As far as you not being afraid of anything; I think we both know that's not quite true. Oh, I have no doubt that you weren't afraid of those boys, maybe afraid for what they might do to Caleb, but there isn't a doubt in my mind that when it came to worrying about yourself fear wasn't something even in your vocabulary. However, there is something that you are afraid of; yourself because you care and you aren't used to that and it's confusing you."

Crossing her arms over her chest, she tilted her head in contemplation as she challenged;

"Alright, since your apparently such an authority, is there anything else that I'm afraid of, Sheriff Buck."

Nodding his head, Lucas ventured;

"There most certainly is darlin."

Her tone becoming sarcastic, Dara demanded;

"And just what might that be?"

Finding himself becoming frustrated by her stubbornness, without hesitation he grabbed her to him as he held her in a tight embrace and exclaimed;

"This!"

With that he lowered his head and took possession of her mouth, determined to break through the barrier that she was trying to build around her emotions. Although Lucas wanted nothing more then to hold her as he was indefinitely, he lifted his head to study her response. At first he was afraid that she had fainted until her eyes opened, the earlier iciness seeming to have melted to be replaced with a mix of confusion, fear and turmoil as well as the tears she was trying desperately hard to contain as she softly swore;

"Damn you."

Lucas held her tightly in his embrace as he nodded his encouragement;

"Darlin, just let it out, please, for your own sake."

Although he knew she might be angry with him for forcing her hand, Lucas had no doubt that she needed this desperately. He could tell that she had been holding back her emotions for quite sometime and proof of just how overwhelming the effort had been for her was evidenced by the sobs that he could feel wracking her body as he held her to him tightly. Sweeping her up in his arms, Lucas sat on the bench on the pier as he held her and let her cry out her frustrations.

Giving way to his instincts he began rocking back and forth with her in his arms as he sought to offer her comfort;

"It's alright, cry it out; you have every right. I promise you that I'll be here for you and I'm never going to let anyone or anything hurt you."

Dara had fought desperately hard to keep her emotions under control, but when Lucas had confronted her with her fears, she found that she could no longer hold them inside. Although she wanted to be angry with him for breaking through the dam of her self control, when her tears began to flow the only thing that she wanted was for him to hold her as he was doing now. Unable to stop the flow she continued crying as she vaguely heard Lucas' voice as he offered her words of comfort.

Lucas realized that her sobs had quieted before ceasing; pulling back slightly he could see that she had cried herself into exhaustion and was now asleep in his arms. Glancing up at the sky he was shocked to see that, not only had the sun set, but the sky was now cloaked in a deep shade of blue as the multitudes of stars sparkled like tiny diamonds. Dimly, he realized that they had been sitting here for sometime; he had been so intent on assuring her of his feelings that he had lost track of time.

Quietly, he rose with Dara still cradled in his arms, to make his way to the house. He noticed a back door close to the window that he knew went to Dara's bedroom; hoping he would be lucky, Lucas tried the knob and was relieved to find it open; entering he made his way to her bedroom. Laying her on the bed he removed her shoes before pulling the throw at the end of the bed over her before pulling the curtains to. Lucas stood, looking down on her sleeping face and couldn't help but notice, even with the tears still staining her face, just how truly beautiful she was. Bending down, he carefully pushed the stray curls away from her face, then, tenderly, he kissed her.

Sensing that someone else was in the room, Lucas turned to find Mrs. Adams standing in the doorway, watching him. Rising to his full height, he turned and bestowed an evil grin on the older woman;

"What, afraid that I'll steal the maiden fair's soul?"

Mrs. Adams realized that he had not seen her and Gwenna as they witnessed the scene on the pier. She could tell that the sight of her child so distraught had been something difficult for Gwenna to witness, but when she had offered to come to the girl's aide, Gwenna had stopped her by shaking her head as she wiped tears from her eyes;

"No, Ellen, she needs this. She's been holding everything inside for so long, trying not to worry me, that she's built a wall around herself, it needs to come down."

Glancing out the window to the pair, she had offered;

"But she may need someone to comfort her." 

Turning, Gwenna had nodded, a sadness touching her eyes;

"She DOES need someone to comfort her,"

Nodding in the direction of the pier, she continued;

"she needs Lucas to comfort her."

With that she had turned from the window, leaving Mrs. Adams to ponder the turn of events.

Turning to face Lucas now, she stared at him knowingly;

"You love her a great deal, don't you?"

Glaring at the older woman for a moment, Lucas' face took on an entreating look as he nodded;

"Yes, Mrs. A, I do. If I had any decency left in me then I would do what you suggested before; turn away from her and leaver her alone. But, I can't; you want honesty? I want to marry her."

Shock registering on her face at his statement, Lucas confided;

"And for your peace of mind I'll tell you now; her and her alone, without having to wonder or worry if I'm sharing my attention and affection with any other woman, including Selena Coombs. I don't want her soul, I don't want to corrupt her; I just want her love and to love her. I didn't think that I even had a heart until I saw her. You said that you wanted to see me humbled; well now you have."

She had been prepared to scoff at his words, but Mrs. Adams found that she found nothing but sincerity in his blunt statement as she offered;

"Thank you for your honesty, but a word of caution; don't rush her, especially right now. Before you ask, it's not my place to tell you what the sorrow in her is and don't be surprised if she doesn't tell you either; she's been through a lot and even when she trusts she still finds it difficult to confide because she resents pity. All that I can tell you is that you'll know when she needs you; just be there for her, and please, don't hurt her. She isn't like the others Lucas, she has a strong spirit but it can also be very fragile too."

Approaching the doorway, he placed his hand on her shoulder as he asked;

"Then I have your blessing?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Mrs. Adams offered;

"It's not mine to give, but for what it's worth I believe you and as long as you swear to cherish and love her then you'll never hear a word of complaint from me."

Placing a kiss on the woman's cheek, he stated;

"Thank you."

Watching as he walked out of the doorway towards the living room, Mrs. Adams turned to look a sleeping Dara as she contemplated;

"I think, Dara, that where Lucas Buck is concerned, you're the answer to not only his but Trinity's prayers as well."

With that, she pulled the door to.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

Despite the fact that she had fallen asleep out of exhaustion, Dara found herself dreaming. She was, once more, standing on the pier, feeling the breeze as it touched her skin and enjoying the coolness as she felt two strong and very familiar arms go around her as she felt Lucas' broad chest against her back. Feeling his mouth nibbling and teasing her neck, she turned and searched his eyes;

"Why? There are other women who are smarter and prettier than I am who can offer you more than what I can."

Placing his finger under her chin, he shook his head;

"There aren't any women who are smarter or prettier than you, at least not as far as I'm concerned. As far as offering me more; no, all I want is you."

With that he held her face in his hands as he began kissing her tenderly, deepening the kiss by degrees. When he lifted his head, he swept her into his arms and walked the short distance to the soft ground beneath the huge oak tree. As he laid her on the soft, moss covered area she questioned;

"What do you want of me?"

Lucas looked at her longingly;

"I want your love, I want you."

The sadness evident in her eyes, she shook her head;

"I can't."

The man of her dreams looked at her, the naked pain evident in the dark depth of his eyes, which turned quickly to cold anger as he challenged dangerously;

"I could make you fall in love with me you know that, don't you?"

Her face full of sad confusion, Dara shook her head;

"You can't make me do something that I've already done myself."

The anger in his eyes replaced with sadness, Lucas pleaded;

"Then why? I love you and you just admitted that you love me, so why?"

Gently placing her hand along his cheek she spoke sadly;

"Right now, there are things that I have to face and deal with that I can't ask anyone else to suffer through. All that I can ask is for you to be patient and understanding."

Savoring the feel of her touch against his face, Lucas opened his eyes to look into hers';

"I'll wait an eternity if I have to, but you're wrong, you're not alone anymore and as long as I live you never will be again."

It was at that moment that Dara awoke from her dream. Reaching her hand to her cheek she found it dampened by the tears that she had unknowingly shed.

Outside, Lucas stood, looking towards her window. He knew that he would have to have patience in order to overcome her fear and sadness, but he also knew that she loved him as well. That fact alone would make the prize that much more worth the winning.

Gwenna had heard the doorbell from her room and knew that Dara was still in the process of getting dressed in anticipation of her dinner date with Lucas. After what had taken place between the two on the pier, Gwenna had suspected that her daughter would choose to show her stubborn nature and attempt to cancel the date; in keeping with her track record of guessing her youngest child's moods, she had been right. However, something that she hadn't expected from Dara was that, each time she considered a reason to cancel she also talked herself out of doing so.

Deciding to remain silent until asked her opinion, she had held her tongue until her daughter had approached her; something she had no doubt would take place sooner as opposed to later. Sure enough, Dara had stood in Gwenna's bedroom doorway as she timidly asked;

"Mama?"

Looking up from the book that she had been reading, Gwenna set it aside as she motioned to the empty chair;

"What is it, Little One? Come in and talk to me."

Taking a seat across from her mother, Dara launched in;

"Mama, do you think that I should go out with Lucas? I mean, what if you need me?"

Offering her daughter a look of wry amusement, she shook her head;

"Ellen is staying with me tonight, remember? There is a movie that we've been wanting to watch."

Studying the girl closely, Gwenna prodded;

"Try again, sweetie. What are you afraid of?"

Sighing as she looked at her mother, Dara speculated;

"What if he only offered out of some type of obligation? I don't want a pity date, Mama."

Reaching across the space, Gwenna held her daughter's chin as she searched her eyes;

"Dara Cherice, look me in the eye and tell me that you really don't believe that man cares about you."

Staring into her mother's eyes, she bit at her bottom lip before shaking her head. Nodding her agreement, Gwenna ventured;

"Now, tell me that you don't care for him and I'll drop the subject without another word."

Gwenna could see the fear evident in her child's eyes as she swallowed a lump before shaking her head once more;

"I can't tell you that, Mama."

Opening her arms she wasn't shocked as Dara fell to her knees as she wrapped her arms around her waist to state quietly;

"Mama, I'm scared."

Patting her daughter's back before placing her hands on her shoulders to push her away so she could see her eyes, Gwenna cupped her face in her hands as she offered a sympathetic nod;

"I know, Dara, I know. But, Little One, sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and this is one of those times."

Hugging her close she offered a light hearted laugh as she ventured;

"You agreed to go to dinner, sweetie, not to spend your life with him."

'_At least not yet.'_ She thought silently before pushing the girl back slightly to lightly admonish;

"Now, you stop being silly and go take a nice long bubble bath before you start getting dressed; alright?"

Offering her mother a slight smile as she nodded, Dara rose and made her way to the door before turning and letting her smile touch her eyes as she vowed;

"I love you, Mama."

Smiling at the memory of the back and forth that she and Dara had engaged in since the girl could talk, she replied;

"I love you more."

Giggling slightly at her mother's mood, Dara quipped;

"I love you most, Mommy."

Gwenna had to shake her head at her daughter's play as she completed the game;

"I love you mostest, Little One."

She felt her heart lighten with her daughter's light laughter as she disappeared to her own bedroom to begin preparing for her evening out. Brushing the tear from her cheek, Gwenna found herself repeating;

"I love you mostest, Dara Cherice."

Bringing her thoughts back to the present as she heard Lucas familiar voice as he greeted Ellen, she rang her bell to gain the woman's attention before requesting;

"Ellen, why don't you ask Lucas to come in here for a moment while Dara's dressing."

When the door opened a bit wider she couldn't help but smile as she greeted;

"Hello, Lucas, how are you?"

Nodding as he entered the room to stand in uncertainty with his hands in his pockets, Gwenna couldn't help but offer a slight chuckle as she motioned to the chair;

"Please, have a seat."

Waiting until he had made himself comfortable in the arm chair across from hers, Gwenna decided to be direct;

"Lucas, I think that you've come to realize that I tend to be quite blunt."

Offering his own chuckle of amusement, Lucas contemplated;

"Yes, ma'am, I knew that Dara had to have gotten it from somewhere."

Nodding, she agreed;

"Well, in all fairness I should tell you, or warn you depending on your point of view, that Dara is most definitely her mother's daughter. I suppose that's why she and I have always been so close. You see, Dara's my baby, the youngest of my four children and I supposed that, with the age difference between her and her brother and sisters, I probably had more attention and time to give to her then what I was able to give to my other children, they were all very close in age."

Uncertain as to where she was going with her explanation, Lucas ventured;

"Well she doesn't seem spoiled from the attention, if anything quite the opposite."

At her nod of agreement he decided to offer a bit of his own bluntness as he asked;

"Gwenna, not that I mind listening to stories about Dara, but I get the feeling that there's a specific reason why you're telling me this."

Pinning him with her eyes, Gwenna's face brooked no arguments regarding her seriousness as she demanded;

"You're right there is. I want to ask you a question and I want an honest answer. I know that you haven't known her for what could be considered a long time, grant you, but I want to know; do you care for my daughter?"

Knowing that this scenario had been a very real possibility given the close relationship he had witnessed between Dara and her mother, Lucas wasn't shocked by the woman's direct inquisition. Taking a deep breath, he met the woman's eyes with a look of sincere honesty;

"No ma'am, I don't think that 'care' is exactly the right word for what I feel for your daughter; 'love' would be a more accurate definition, although even it doesn't seem strong enough to describe what I feel for Dara."

Gwenna stared at the man in shock, she had suspected Lucas' feelings for Dara were strong but she had not thought that he would have been wiling to admit being in love with her this quickly, nodding she asked quietly; 

"Does Dara know?"

Leaning forward to brace his arms across his knees as he clasped his hands together, he speculated;

"I know that she knows I care for her a great deal, but, to be honest, I know that she cares for me as well but that she's also dealing with a lot of confusion about her own feelings and I haven't wanted to frighten her any more than what she already is."

Glancing up into the woman's eyes, he confided;

"I know this might not be something that you particularly want to hear, Gwenna, but I happen to love your daughter a great deal and, when she's ready, I want to marry her."

Recovering from the shock of his earlier statement, Gwenna took a deep breath as she processed Lucas' declarations before venturing;

"Lucas, there's something that I feel I have the right to ask you."

Shrugging, he offered;

"Considering that I'm sitting here telling you that I'm in love with her and have every intention of making your daughter my wife, I think that you have the right to ask any damn question you want."

Despite the gravity of the situation, Gwenna couldn't help but offer a slight laugh at his statement as she spoke;

"Thank you for that. Lucas, despite being rather reclusive I have heard things here and there, but I've never been one for gossip so I've never paid much attention to it whenever I've heard it."

Having already surmised the gist of her question, he ventured;

"Let me guess, you've heard quite a bit about me and wonder if where there's smoke there might also be fire?"

Reminding him of Dara as she bit at her bottom lip, Gwenna nodded;

"Quite frankly, yes; I can't help but wonder, especially where my Little One is concerned; I want her to be happy and loved."

Spreading her hands in a pleading gesture, she confided;

"What you said about her being frightened about her own feelings; you were right, she is. But, she's facing up to them and, quite frankly, the fact that she is doing so tells me that she definitely has feelings for you as well. I can't swear to it that she loves you because she hasn't openly said that yet, but judging by her behavior; I would say that she does."

Deciding that sharing the fact that he already knew how the woman's child felt for him wasn't a wise decision, Lucas simply nodded as he prodded;

"But, you're worried about your baby."

Sighing as she pursed her lips, Gwenna nodded; 

"Yes, I am. I like you well enough, Lucas, but I will be honest with you; I know that you can be and more than likely are a very cold and dangerous man. However, I also know that when you look at my daughter, I see none of that in you. I think that you also realize that Dara is a fairly young woman and I'm quite certain that you have seen and experienced quite a bit more than she has."

Finding himself becoming slightly frustrated with having concerns that he had considered for, at least, a million times since realizing his feelings for Dara repeated by her mother, Lucas shrugged at he held his hands open in a pleading gesture;

"Alright then Gwenna what do you suggest I do; walk away from your daughter? Because I have to tell you, I'm not willing to do that. Look, I know that I'm no saint and; yes, I can be and have been a very cold and dangerous man and I have seen and experienced more than what Dara has. I'll be forty years old in January and I'm guessing that Dara is more than likely in her mid twenties."

Interrupting him, Gwenna confirmed;

"She will turn twenty-six in November."

Nodding, he continued;

"Alright so I'm fourteen years older than she is, but I'm sorry, none of that matters when I look at her or when I hold her."

Bowing his head, Lucas sought to ease the woman's worries;

"Gwenna, I can't change what my life was like before I laid eyes on her, but I can and have been trying to change what I do from here forward. I know you're worried about your baby, but she isn't a baby, she's a grown woman; but I can promise you this; I will never harm or let anyone else harm her either. You said that you wanted her happy and loved, well I swear to you that she will never lack for love and I will do my damnedest to make sure that she's happy. And before you wonder or worry about it; I have no intentions of trying to seduce or corrupt your daughter just to get 'what I want'. WHEN I take Dara to my bed it will be as my wife or not at all."

Wiping a tear from her eye, Gwenna turned to him as she placed her hand on his arm;

"Lucas, she may not be A baby, but she will always be MY baby. But, I can't deny that you love her, it's hard to miss how you look at her and I know that you'll take good care of her. However, keep something in mind; you said that you would be willing to wait until she's ready."

At his silent nod of agreement, she pursed her lips;

"Don't try to push her on that, Lucas; if you do, you'll lose her. Just let things progress and let her come to accept things in her own time."

Before they could say anything more, they heard Dara's approach just before she opened the door and glanced from her mother to Lucas as she apologized;

"I'm sorry; I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

Lucas stood, staring in amazement; she was wearing a royal blue dress with full sleeves that ended at her elbows with a sweetheart neckline that offered a modest view of her cleavage while the full jagged hemmed skirt showcased her waist and legs. She had pulled her hair back on the sides and simply allowed it to fall down her back. He quickly realized that, had he not been aware of her bruises, he wouldn't have realized that she was even wearing any makeup, but he couldn't deny that with or without cosmetics she was stunning. Shaking himself mentally, Lucas shook his head;

"No, your mother and I were just talking. You look absolutely beautiful."

Blushing as the compliment, she nodded towards him;

"Thank you, you don't look too bad yourself."

Although he hadn't set out to do so, Lucas had taken great pains in choosing his own clothing for the evening; deciding to forego his usually black attire in favor of a shirt that almost matched the blue of her dress. Deciding that time was getting away from them, he offered;

"It was nice to see you again, Gwenna and thank you for the conversation."

Reaching her hand out, Gwenna grasped his as she looked into his eyes;

"You're very welcome, Lucas. I appreciate your talking to me tonight."

Stepping forward, Dara leaned over and hugged her mother as she reminded;

"Don't forget your medication and don't fall asleep in your chair again, promise?"

Rolling her eyes as she made a crossing motion over her chest she quipped;

"Cross my heart, Little One, now go and have a good time and, remember, you're grown so you don't have a curfew."

Giggling slightly as she approached the door, Dara shook her head;

"Night, Mama."

Once Lucas pulled the front door closed behind them, he reached out and grabbed her hand to halt her before descending the front steps;

"There was something that I just realized I missed today."

Puzzled, Dara shook her head;

"What?"

Pulling her to him as he took her in his arms, he lowered his head;

"This."

With that he kissed her deeply and felt infinite relief when he lifted his head and found himself looking into her smiling face, glad to see that she wasn't harboring feelings of anger over what had taken place on the pier. Releasing her from his embrace he took her hand and led the way to the car before opening the door for her.

As they sat in the dark confines of the vehicle, Lucas, attempting to make small talk, asked;

"Would you mind if I ask you something?"

Shaking her head, she ventured;

"I don't see why not; go ahead."

Casting a glance in her direction he asked;

"I've noticed that your mother doesn't always call you 'Dara'."

He could see by the smile on her face as well as the slight laugh that she found amusement in his query;

"You mean when she calls me 'Little One'?"

Nodding, he questioned;

"I'm guessing it's a nickname?"

Laughing lightly at his statement, she explained;

"I know to look at me that it might be hard to believe this, but I was Mama's smallest child; and since I'm the youngest and there are a lot of years between me and my sisters and brother, when I was born it had been a while since Daddy had held a baby. Well when I was born and since I was so small, he was afraid to hold me for very long, so whenever Mama would change me or feed me or pick me up, he took to saying; 'let me hold her for a little bit', when he would hand me back to her after a few minutes she would fuss at him and tell him; 'it's not her fault she's such a little one.' It just sort of stuck, I guess."

Seeking to ease the nervous tension, Lucas suggested;

"Would you mind some music?"

Shaking her head, Dara asked; 

"No, by all means."

Pressing the 'power' button, Lucas couldn't help but smile as she became excited;

"Oh, I LOVE his music."

Glancing at her, he couldn't help but find himself fascinated with her ability to find joy in even the simplest things, such as a song by one of her favorite singers. What he found even more amazing was the fact that the song playing was called; 'How Can I Say No', something that he found altogether appropriate considering the fact that the song perfectly described his feelings for Dara.

Just as the song ended, Dara noticed that they had turned into the parking lot of, what she assumed to be, the restaurant that Lucas had chosen. Glancing at the structure she quickly realized that it was built overlooking a large body of water, something that became glaringly obvious as Lucas led her inside where they were greeted by the matronly hostess who eagerly greeted them;

"Well, Lucas, I saw your name on the list for tonight, it's been a long time. How have you been?"

Nodding, he returned her greeting;

"Sally, nice to see you too, hope you've been doing fine."

Although she knew that Lucas Buck had a tendency for attractive women, Sally couldn't help but find herself shocked by the woman with him now. Seeing that she wasn't the usual type that she had seen him with before, she couldn't help but offer the young woman a smile to be met as she offered a shy smile of her own. Placing her hands on her wide hips, Sally demanded;

"Now Lucas, just who is this pretty little thing?"

Lucas turned and, gently taking Dara's hand, pulled her forward as he made the introductions; "I'm sorry, Sally; this is Dara Chambers. Dara, this is Sally Denton, she and her family own and run this restaurant."

Sally couldn't help but take an instant liking to the girl as she offered her small hand in greeting. Eagerly, she shook the girl's hand as she gushed;

"It's real nice to meet you, Ms. Chambers."

Offering the older woman a shy smile, Dara suggested;

"Please, call me Dara."

Studying the younger woman, Sally quickly realized that there was something definitely different about this girl; she was nothing like any of the other women that she had known Lucas Buck to associate with; oh she was definitely beautiful enough, but what the others lacked that this girl seemed to possess was an air of innocence, something Sally found refreshing. Casting an approving look at Lucas, she offered a subtle nod; putting her own stamp of approval on Dara as she grabbed two menus before turning to Lucas to question;

"Any particular place you'd like to sit tonight?"

Glancing at Dara, Lucas nodded;

"Yes, as a matter of fact, would the deck happen to be open?"

Motioning with her hand she ordered;

"Follow me."

With that she led them to a doorway that opened out onto a large wooden deck canopied with dozens of lines of string lights. Leading them to a table, Dara quickly realized that they had a perfect view of the water. Turning she couldn't help but voice her opinion;

"This is beautiful, Sally, but we're not putting you to any trouble sitting out here are we?"

Waving her hand at the younger woman, Sally pashawed her;

"Lord, no child. This is one of our slower nights and with it getting cool at night, not too many choose to sit out here. You enjoy it and I'll send the waitress out here in a few minutes to get your order."

With that she turned and left them in privacy to peruse their menus. It wasn't long before the waitress approached them to take their orders, once that had been accomplished; Lucas reached across the table to take her hand;

"I'm really glad that you kept our date, I was half afraid that you might change your mind."

Glancing down at her place setting, she confessed;

"I just couldn't think of a reason why I should and to be very honest with you, I didn't really want to find a reason."

Deciding to address something that had been bothering him, he asked;

"Dara, could I ask you something?"

At her silent nod of agreement, he continued;

"I couldn't help but notice that your mother has oxygen and that Mrs. Adams helps you with her; what's wrong with her."

Dara had known that the subject of her mother's health would come up sooner or later, however, divulging just how serious her mother's condition was wasn't something that she was comfortable with, especially given the past problems that she had been forced to deal with thanks to her brother. Deciding to downplay the seriousness of the situation, she offered;

"Mama was a seven month preemie and her health has never been very good, her lungs never fully developed and as she's gotten older she's begum to have more problems with her breathing and needing more rest."

Although she had not exactly lied, Dara still felt guilty. The truth was that she wanted nothing more than to confide in Lucas just how serious the situation with her mother was but she and her mother had agreed to keep the fact that her condition was a terminal one from everyone, save those who needed to know, such as Gwenna's physicians and Mrs. Adams. Realizing that Lucas had asked her a question she offered an embarrassed smile as she apologized;

"I'm sorry, Lucas, I'm afraid I wasn't paying attention, what did you say."

Taking her hand in both of his, Lucas couldn't help but notice how much smaller her hand was than his as he repeated his earlier statement;

"I said that you know that if there's anything I can do or anything that you need to help make things easier for you and your mother, don't be afraid to ask."

Caressing her hand he gazed into her eyes as he offered;

"I happen to like your mother and I think you know that there isn't anything I wouldn't do for you."

Dara found herself unsure of what to say or how to approach the situation; she had no doubts about Lucas sincerity, but she simply didn't know how to address the situation. Before she could give the matter any further thought the waitress brought their order, giving Dara something to focus on besides Lucas' statement. Just as they were almost finished with their meal, Lucas excused himself;

"I'll be right back; will you be alright for a couple of minutes?"

Giving him a look of amusement, she chastised him lightly;

"Lucas, I am a big girl you know, what could possibly happen?"

Bending over her as he stood, Lucas smiled indulgently as he placed a kiss on her upturned mouth before venturing;

"Some infatuated scoundrel could wander by and steal a kiss."

Laughing at his play, Dara couldn't help herself from suggesting;

"You know, the sooner you go the sooner you return."

Brushing the back of his fingers over her cheek, he made his way into the main part of the restaurant. Having finished her own meal, Dara decided to take in the view from the deck railing. She was enjoying the light breeze from the water, awaiting Lucas' return when she heard music beginning to play through the speakers attached to the various support pillars. Suddenly, she realized why the music had caught her attention as Lucas placed his hand lightly on her arm to turn her to face him. Turning in surprise she was about to speak when he placed his finger against her lips as he shook his head before placing his arm around her waist and taking her hand in his as he began leading her to move with the music. The shocked pleasure evident in her eyes, she asked;

"Isn't that…"

Finishing her statement, he offered;

"'How Can I Say No?' yes, darlin, it is."

Despite the heels she had opted to wear, Dara found herself having to look up to meet Lucas' gaze, something that found her giggling slightly in amusement. Curious as to the source of her amusement, Lucas demanded;

"What's so funny, don't tell me that I'm that bad of a dancer."

Shaking her head, Dara explained;

"No, quite the contrary, it's just that I wore heels and I still have to look up to make eye contact with you."

Before she realized it, Lucas had released her hand to wrap both arms around her waist as he lifted her off the floor to hold her tightly against him as he asked;

"There, is that better?"

Following her impulse she looped her arms around his neck as she laid her head against his shoulder as they continued dancing. When the song ended, Dara lifted her head from his shoulder and looked into his eyes as she pointed out;

"The song ended."

Letting her body slide slowly down the length of his until she was standing on her own feet, Lucas kept his arm wrapped around her waist as he placed his free hand against her cheek;

"Are you sorry that it did?"

Swallowing the lump of trepidation that had risen in her throat, Dara slowly nodded as she softly replied;

"Yes."

Taking in a deep breath, Lucas pulled her closer; sensing his intention Dara considered;

"But everyone inside…" 

Shaking his head, Lucas finished her statement;

"Will be staying inside, Sally put the 'closed' sign up so there's no one to worry about."

Brushing the back of his fingers against her cheek, he continued;

"The only two people that we need to worry about right now are standing right here; you and I."

Holding her in his arms he lowered his head as he took possession of her mouth. Dara felt as if she were melting in his embrace as he kissed her. When he lifted his head, he could see that there was something troubling her; holding her tightly in his arms he asked;

"Dara, darlin, what's the matter? There's something bothering you, I can see it in your eyes. Is it us?"

Biting at her bottom lip, she softly explained;

"Not exactly, it's just that, well.."

Finally becoming frustrated with her failed attempts to articulate her concern, she simply blurted;

"Lucas, I don't sleep around."

Although he realized how seriously she took the matter, he couldn't help but find slight amusement in the fact that THIS was her concern and not fear of their relationship. Shaking his head, Lucas placed a tender kiss on her cheek as he sought to alleviate her fear;

"Dara, I don't care about you because I want to get you into my bed; darlin, I care about you for YOU. I'm not going to push you into something that you're not ready for; if and when that becomes a part of our relationship it will be when the time is right. There's a big difference between having sex and making love; I know which experience I would rather have with you when the time is right."

Seeing the relief evident on her face, Lucas hugged her close to him as he kissed her gently before asking;

"Do you feel better now?"

Nodding eagerly, Dara confessed; 

"I was afraid that you might.."

Looking at her in disbelief, Lucas suggested;

"Lose interest in you?"

Shaking his head vehemently, Lucas vowed;

"Not a chance, darlin, I told you; you're not getting rid of me, I intend to be in this for the long haul."

With that he gave her a gentle kiss as he released her from his embrace to take her hand in his as he speculated;

"I know it's starting to get chilly, so how about I pay the check and we'll head back to Trinity."

Nodding her agreement as she glanced at her wrist watch;

"I should probably get back and check on Mama."

After Lucas had paid the bill and they were heading back in the direction of Trinity, he noticed that Dara had grown quiet and thoughtful as she was staring out of the passenger window at the night sky. Reaching across the seat, he wrapped his fingers around hers and gave her hand a slight squeeze. Turning to face him, she offered a slight smile as she returned the gesture. Motioning to her seat belt, he suggested;

"You know if you'd like to sit a little closer, I'm pretty sure that I can guarantee that you wouldn't get a ticket for not wearing your seat belt."

Dara couldn't help but laugh at his play as she quipped;

"Oh, do you think you might be able to pull some strings for me with the Sheriff."

Lifting his arm as she released the catch on her seat belt and slid next to him on the bench seat, Lucas nodded as he placed his arm around her shoulders;

"I'm pretty sure that he'd be more than willing to let you slide, darlin."

Motioning to the radio, she asked;

"Would you mind if I turned it on?"

Shaking his head, Lucas advised;

"No, go ahead."

Dara leaned forward and pushed the power button to bring the car stereo to life. Her hand paused in mid air as the familiar notes began pouring from the speakers to fill the interior of the vehicle. Turning to Lucas, who was wearing a semi shocked expression, she couldn't help but laugh as she leaned back against his side before venturing;

"If I were superstitious I would think that this was some sort of a sign."

Squeezing her shoulder as he glanced down at her, Lucas demanded;

"And just what makes you think that it isn't, honey?"

Her face masking her astonishment as she tilted her head to stare at him;

"Lucas, surely you don't believe in such things; it's just a coincidence, the song happens to be popular so it gets a lot of air play right now, that's all."

Pulling into her driveway before he could offer a response, Lucas cut the motor before opening her door for her as he walked her to her front door. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he emphasized;

"Dara, I'm serious; I think that song is a definite sign."

Clasping her hands behind his neck as she looked up to search his eyes she asked;

"Oh really; and just what kind of a sign do you think it is?"

Pulling her closer as he lifted her off the floor to hold her close against him, Lucas replied;

"A good one."

With that he took possession of her mouth as he held her tightly against him. Both were so involved in the contact that they failed to notice as Gwenna opened the front door and stood there, her arms crossed over her chest, staring at the couple. After a minute or so and realizing that their attention was most definitely not on her presence, she gently cleared her throat and found herself fighting the urge to chuckle at the look of shock that both her daughter and Lucas were wearing as she demanded;

"Dara, would you mind telling me what the two of you think you are doing on this porch in the dark?"

Without missing a beat, Lucas supplied;

"Kissing."

Her face taking on a look of sarcasm, Gwenna chastised; 

"I can see that, Lucas, but what I would like to know is why my daughter is dangling at least six inches off the ground."

Dara couldn't help but bury her face against his shoulder, giggling as Lucas explained;

"Well, although your daughter isn't lacking in the beauty, personality or intelligence department, height is definitely another matter, Gwenna."

Finding that she was unable to maintain her look of reproach at the two, Gwenna simply rolled her eyes;

"I see that my daughter isn't the only one who can be a smart ass when they choose to be, is she Lucas?"

Motioning to her daughter, she quipped;

"Although I'm glad to see that you two seem to enjoy each other's company, I also think that it might be a good idea if my daughter got a little rest; especially since she has to work tomorrow."

With that she turned and closed the door, leaving them in privacy to say their goodnights. Lifting her face from his shoulder, the mirth still evident in her smile, Dara sighed;

"I hate to admit it, but she's right, I do have some appointments at the hospital tomorrow."

Casting a sideways glance at the front door, Lucas quipped;

"I thought that she said you didn't have a curfew."

Giggling as she shook her head, Dara pointed out;

"I don't, but one thing about Mama; no matter how late, until she knows that I'm home safe, she's not going to go to sleep."

Slowly, Lucas loosened his hold to let her body slide down the length of his until she was back on her feet. Dara tilted her face up as she stated;

"I really did enjoy myself tonight, Lucas. Thank you."

Nodding as he pushed her hair behind her shoulder, he returned;

"I did too."

Feeling he needed to solidify his feelings and position on the subject of their relationship, Lucas vowed;

"I meant what I said, Dara; I care about you and we'll take things as slow as you want to. There's nothing that will happen until YOU"RE ready for it to and not before; understand?"

Dara couldn't help but smile at him tenderly as she reached up and kissed him as she expressed;

"Yes, thank you for that, it means a great deal to me."

Holding her close, he offered;

"You're more than welcome, darlin. Now; I think that you, young lady, need to get some rest, so goodnight."

With that he gave her a final kiss before leaving. Dara stood on the porch for a few minutes, smiling contentedly to herself.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

Sitting in the living room, Gwenna heard the front door open and close just before Dara entered the room. Studying the look on her daughter's face, she couldn't help but smile as she ventured;

"Would I be safe in betting that you enjoyed yourself this evening?"

Gliding by her mother's chair, Dara leaned over and placed a kiss on the woman's cheek before taking seat on the sofa as she kicked her heels off onto the floor. Gwenna stared at her child in shock before questioning her daughter's good mood;

"Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?"

Tucking her legs underneath her before bracing her elbow on the arm of the sofa as she rested her chin in her hand before offering her mother a happy smile;

"Now, Mama, have I ever had to have a reason before to show you affection?"

Holding her head up as her face took on a look of calm knowing; Gwenna remained silent and simply stared at her daughter. Finally, Dara sighed as she giggled; 

"Okay, Mama, you're right; that was a thank you."

Gwenna, already certain as to the answer, asked;

"And just are you thanking me for, Little One?"

Noting the glow in her eyes, she wasn't shocked by her daughter's admission;

"Because, you didn't let me back out of going out to dinner tonight with Lucas."

A knowing smile curling her lips Gwenna speculated;

"Well, considering what I saw on the front porch I'm assuming that you and Lucas enjoyed yourselves tonight."

Smiling dreamily, Dara nodded;

"You could definitely say that, Mama."

Her mood turning serious as she pinned her daughter with her eyes, Gwenna demanded;

"Dara, how do you feel about this man?"

Although she had expected to see her child's smile disappear, Gwenna found herself relieved when the look on Dara's face simply became thoughtful as she considered her mother's question before meeting her mother's eyes;

"I care about him, Mama, to be honest, more than I thought possible; but I can't help how I feel about him, and I'm not sure that, even if I could, I would want to change that."

Despite the fact that she had tried not to interfere or pry when it came to her children's romantic lives, Gwenna couldn't help herself where Dara was concerned, especially now. She had no doubt of Lucas' sincerity when he had confessed his feelings for Dara and although she still possessed concerns, especially given the fact that Lucas himself had confirmed her suspicions during their earlier conversation. While most would have found his admission disturbing, she actually found it comforting; if he was willing to be so honest with her when she confronted him about his character, then she knew that he was telling the truth about his feelings for Dara and had no doubt in the sincerity of the promises that he had made where her daughter was concerned.

Dara couldn't help but notice her mother's mood of contemplation, especially when she cast her eyes downward, as if studying the carpeting. Finally, she demanded;

"Alright, Mama, what's on your mind? You told me that I had to take a leap of faith, well I am."

As if a thought suddenly came to her, she asked;

"Mama, what were you and Lucas discussing while I was finishing dressing?"

Facing her daughter, she answered honestly;

"We were discussing you."

Seeing the stricken look on her daughter's face, Gwenna held her hands up in a halting manner as she rushed to assure her;

"Relax, Little One, it wasn't anything bad."

The look of relief evident in her eyes, Dara demanded;

"Mama, please tell me that you didn't give him the third degree."

Shaking her head as she held her hand up solemnly;

"Dara, honey, I swear to you that I didn't grill him. No, quite the opposite actually, I'm guessing that you and he had a conversation tonight."

Nodding, Dara confirmed her mother's suspicions;

"Yes, ma'am, actually we did."

Having never kept anything from her mother in the past Dara decided that there was no reason to start now. Sighing in resignation, she confessed;

"We discussed how we feel about each other; he told me that he cares for me, very much so."

Prodding, her mother demanded;

"Do you doubt what he said? And, does he know how you feel about him?"

Taking a deep breath before biting her bottom like, Dara nodded;

"No, I don't, Mama. I told him, point blank, that I don't sleep around; he told me that he cares for me and that nothing in this relationship will take place until I'm ready for it to and not before."

Gwenna couldn't help but remember her as she was as a little girl when Dara's face mirrored her hope as she confessed;

"Mama, he told me that he is in this for the long haul and that, no matter how long it takes, nothing will happen before I'm ready for it to."

Breathing a reserved sigh of relief, Gwenna tilted her head in concern as she asked;

"Sweetie, how do you feel about that?"

As if she were concentrating, Dara's gaze wandered out the living room window before turning back to her mother and taking a deep breath;

"Mama, I know this may sound crazy; but Lucas makes me feel as if he cares about me for ME, as if he only wants me for me and not for what I can do, give him or what he can get from me; I like that."

Clasping her hands in her lap, Gwenna asked quietly;

"Does he know about me, Little One?"

Shaking her head as she fell to her knees to take her mother's hands in her own, she vowed;

"No, Mama! We decided, together, about who should and who shouldn't know about you're being sick and I'm not going to betray that."

As if the thought occurred to her, she looked at her mother, the pleading in her eyes;

"And, Mama, I wish that you wouldn't tell Lucas either. I don't want his pity or for him to do anything out of a sense of pity. If anything comes from this, I want it to be because it's REALLY what's meant to be, not because of a sense of chivalry. PROMISE ME!"

At the pleading tone in her child's voice, Gwenna cupped her daughter's face in her hands as she placed a gentle kiss on her forehead;

"I promise you, Little One, I won't say anything. You're right, we decided this together and we're sticking to that."

Reaching up to hug her mother, Dara placed a kiss on her cheek as she stood;

"Thank you, Mama. I better head to bed, I have counseling sessions in the morning. Please don't stay up too later, you need your rest too."

Grasping her daughter's hand, she shook her head;

"Don't worry; I'm heading to bed too, goodnight, sweetie."

Hearing Dara's bedroom door close, Ellen Adams entered the room;

"Is Dara alright?"

Nodding, Gwenna ventured;

"Yes, actually, I think that she just may be more 'alright' then what I had hoped for her to be, Ellen."

Studying the woman she considering a friend, Mrs. Adams asked; 

"Gwenna, could I ask, I promise it will be between us, but what did Lucas say to you tonight?"

Turning to address the woman, Gwenna told her of the conversation;

"I asked him if he cared for Dara and I told him my concerns."

Shocked by the bluntness of her statement, she demanded;

"What did he say?"

Her eyes mirroring her mixed emotions as she shared her conversation;

"He said that 'care' wasn't the right word for how he felt for Dara, he wasn't even sure that 'love' was the right word to describe how strongly he feels for her. He also told me that he hasn't told her he loves her yet because he doesn't want to frighten her since she's facing her own feelings for him."

Offering a sad smile she continued;

"Ellen, he said that he wants to marry her, when she's ready and that when he takes her to his bed that it would either be as his wife or not at all."

Deciding that she needed to share the conversation that had taken place between she and Lucas, Mrs. Adams leaned forward as she placed her hand on her friend's arm;

"Gwenna, I believe him. The night on the pier, Dara must have cried herself to sleep,"

Interrupting, Gwenna explained;

"I'm not surprised; Dara has always held things in. Even when she was a child, she was such a stubborn little thing, she wouldn't cry, but when she finally did she would usually cry herself into exhaustion."

Nodding her agreement, Mrs. Adams continued;

"Well, Lucas carried her in and put her to bed and when he noticed me in her doorway he tried to be flippant with me. But, Gwenna, the look I saw on his face as he looked at her, I knew without a doubt that he genuinely loves her. He told me the same thing that he told you; he told me he wants to marry her."

Pursing her lips in consideration, Gwenna demanded; 

"Ellen, I need to know something and I want the truth; I know that he is and can be a very cold, hard and dangerous man when he chooses to be, he admitted that to me when I confronted him with it. What I need to know is if he was telling the truth when he said that he was trying to be a better man since Dara and if he will keep his promise to love her and to make her happy."

Leaning forward she offered in a pleading tone;

"Ellen, I know my daughter, when Dara marries it will be for life and for better or worse; I need to know that my baby will be happy. I want to believe Lucas when he says that he will take care of her, do you think that I can and that he will?"

Considering the question for a moment, Mrs. Adams took a deep breath before offering;

"Gwenna, no one knows the future, but I will say this, I know for a fact that there are aspects of Lucas' life that, since Dara, he has taken steps to change and that there are other areas that have seen a marked change. I have no doubt that he loves your daughter and I really do believe that he will take good care of her."

Wiping a tear from her eye, Gwenna nodded;

"I pray he will, but one thing Ellen; Dara made me promise, Lucas isn't to know how sick I am. She knows he cares for her and she cares for him, but she has no idea that he wants to marry her, she said that she doesn't want anything between them happening out of pity or a sense of chivalry on Lucas' part. You can't say anything either; I've never broken a promise to my baby and I have every intention of going to my grave with that record in tact."

Nodding as she patted the woman's hand, Mrs. Adams vowed;

"I swear, Gwenna, I won't say anything. But, I have to warn you, as much as he cares about her, Lucas will try to find out what's going on, especially if he thinks it's affecting Dara and we both know it will."

Sighing as she shrugged, Gwenna chuckled;

"That may well be, Ellen, but believe me, when my daughter chooses to she can be more secretive than the CIA."

With that she bid Mrs. Adams goodnight, leaving her praying that her belief in Lucas' veracity was well founded, for Dara's sake.

Caleb walked in the back door of the boarding house, having finished his session with Dara earlier, he had opted to stay a little longer to help her with some filing since she didn't have any other appointments that afternoon, having begun spending more time with her. He wasn't shocked when his father had ventured into her office as she and Caleb had finished and were about lock up for the day. He knew that Lucas had been seeing Dara, something that he heartedly approved of since he had developed a fondness for Dara himself. Although he would never admit it to anyone, Caleb had considered, more than once, that if his mother were anything like Dara then he had definitely missed knowing a truly wonderful person.

About to announce his presence, Caleb halted as he heard Matt and Loris Crower engaged in a hushed conversation. Having heard Dara's name mentioned Caleb stood unseen, curious as he listened.

"I'm telling you, Loris, you didn't see him the way that I did with her. I think that he really cares for the girl."

Casing a doubtful glance at her husband, Loris finished filling their bowls with beef stew from the pot on the stove before setting his in front of him as she took her own chair. Shaking her head she stated;

"Matt, it's hard for me to believe that, as much evil and hatred as I've seen in that man, he could care about himself, let alone this woman."

Glancing up at her husband sharply, Loris demanded;

"Besides that, do you want to tell me just exactly why you're singing this girl's praises to me; are you attracted to her or something?"

Reaching across the table to take his wife's hand in reassurance, Matt shook his head as he admonished;

"Now honey, you know better than that; it's just that, well I can't really explain, but, well take Caleb for example. He doesn't really take to anyone or let himself get close to anyone, right?"

Unable to deny her husband's statement, Loris nodded;

"Well, yeah, but he's lost so much that he's afraid to get too close to anyone."

Agreeing with her observation, Matt nodded;

"Right, but he took to Dara immediately; I mean from the moment that he met her. When he saw her in the hospital he even gave her a hug; now when was the last time that you saw him give affection to anyone? Not to mention, he actually looks forward to going to his counseling sessions with her and stays when she doesn't have any other appointments, just to hang out with her while she does paperwork."

Sighing as she shrugged, Loris ventured;

"Okay, so she's likable, what are you getting at?"

Matt held his hands open in a pleading manner;

"THAT'S my point; she has this personality that just naturally draws people to her. I mean I would be lying if I said that she's not attractive, but to me she reminds me of a little sister and I guess part of the reason I feel that way is because of her mother."

Once she was satisfied that this girl posed no threat to her marriage, Loris concern became evident as she demanded;

"What do you mean about her mother?"

Knowing that he really wasn't supposed to say anything but also knowing that he could trust his wife, Matt explained;

"Her mother is dying, she has terminal Lung Cancer and Dara takes care of her with Mrs. Adams' help, she stays with Gwenna when Dara isn't able to be there with her. She told me that she moved to Trinity for the peace and quiet and because of some problems with her older brother; it seems that he's the leach type and managed to con his own mother out of her life savings. Dara and her mother are very close and the fact that Gwenna isn't going to be here very much longer is really beginning to show a strain on Dara."

Having developed a friendship for Dara, Matt couldn't help but shake his head in sympathetic sadness;

"As a matter of fact, I saw Gwenna yesterday and had to run some tests. I'm pretty sure that I already know what those tests are going to show and I'm also certain that Gwenna isn't going to be with us much longer either."

Considering her husband's statement and feeling shame in her suspicions of the poor girl posting a threat to her marriage as well as sympathy for what she must be going through, Loris demanded;

"I don't understand though, Matt, why all the secrecy?"

Sighing as he considered the confidence that Dara had trusted him with, Matt explained;

"Well, Dara told me that for as long as she could remember there has always been some type of squabble or another where her brother was concerned. Combine that with his going through the woman's life savings as well as wanting to have her placed in a home when she became ill and she felt that the best thing to do was to move to Trinity, away from him.. Dara told me that she wants what time her mother has left to be as peaceful as possible, that's part of the reason for the secrecy. Although one thing that I have definitely learned about her; she hates pity."

Loris knew, as well as Matt, that what Lucas Buck was capable of and that when he wanted something he would stop at nothing to get it; considering this fact now, she asked in concern;

"So where exactly does Lucas Buck fit into this picture; do you think that he knows about her mother?"

Shrugging, Matt ventured;

"I really don't know, honey. But, I will say this there isn't a doubt in my mind that he truly cares about Dara. I know that he knows that there's something going on with Dara where her mother is concerned, but so far he's respected the fact that she doesn't want to share it. Not to mention; have you noticed who he hasn't been seen keeping company with for the past few weeks?"

Recalling the exchange that she had seen when she had gone shopping earlier that week, Loris nodded;

"Yes, I ran into her at the store the other day and when someone asked her why she wasn't seeing him anymore all that she would say was that it was over. You know good and well that if Selena had been the one to have done the separating that she would have definitely advertised it; so I'm guessing that he was the one who did the parting."

Agreeing with her statement, Matt nodded;

"Yes, most definitely, but not only that; Mrs. Adams despised him and when I mentioned something about him the other day, she told me that she has no doubts about the fact that he truly cares for Dara. Not to mention; her mother seems to think quite a bit of him as well."

Shaking her head in disbelief and exaggeration, Loris prayed;

"Well, I just hope that if that girl goes into anything with that man that it's with her eyes wide open."

Slipping out of the back door, unnoticed, Caleb sat on the top step of the porch as he processed everything that he had just learned. Thinking to himself aloud, he softly realized;

"So that's why she cancelled a couple of my sessions; Dara's mama is dying."

He couldn't help but shake his head in sympathy, having known how much the death of a loved one hurt was one thing, but he couldn't imagine watching as that person suffered in pain and withered away. He had no doubt that the grief would be multiplied even more so in such a case. Caleb considered telling Lucas what he had learned; he had no doubt that his father cared about Dara, but he also remembered what Dr. Matt had said about her reasons for wanting the secrecy of her mother's condition and decided to keep the information to himself. Shaking his head sadly, he prayed aloud;

"Poor Dara, she's going to need somebody strong for her. Lucas, I sure do hope that you really do lover her and wont hurt her like my mama or my cousin Gail."

Dara sat at her desk, reading through the hospital files on Merlyn, Judith and Gage Temple's deaths as well as that of Gail Emory. Although she wasn't a forensic expert she had studied enough medical courses as part of her major to understand that the angle and impact of the blow to Merlyn Temple's head wasn't necessarily enough to break her neck. Dara was so engrossed in studying the file that she failed to notice Nurse Stacey's approach until she poked her head in the door and asked brightly;

"Doing some research?" 

Her head snapping up, a startled look on her face, she nodded;

"Yes, I was just trying to understand the Temple family's tragedies a little better. I thought that it might help me with Caleb's sessions."

Dara didn't miss the sharp frown that appeared on Stacey's face as she closed the folder and laid it on her desk as the woman offered in a cautious tone;

"I really can't understand why you'd want to dredge up all of that old business anyway. Nothing but pure bad luck; Gage Temple was always a drunk and he made poor Judith's life miserable from the time that he married her."

Crossing her arms across her chest, Dara asked innocently;

"Is that why she had an affair with Lucas Buck; why not just leave Gage? I understand that she ran a shelter for street children at one time; she would have had a place to go, so why stay with a man that monstrous?"

A look of concern and fear on her face, Stacey pleaded;

"Look, Ms. Chambers, you really seem to be a nice lady so I'm going to say this for your own good; you really shouldn't go probing around things that are best left dead and forgotten. The only thing that it will get you is a lot of grief."

Turning to leave, Stacey opened the door to find Lucas Buck standing there. Despite her attempts not to, she was wearing a look of panic as she mumbled;

"Hello, Sheriff."

Lucas knew that he had walked in on the tale end of something, but what he wasn't sure. However, he knew Stacey and that being the case he gave her a knowing look;

"Hello Stacey, how's everything going; you feeling okay tonight didn't forget your 'medication' did you?"

Blanching at the subtle reminder of her carefully hidden narcotics habit, Stacey offered;

"No Sheriff, I don't think that I'll be needing it tonight."

Nodding, Lucas smiled;

"Good, I'm sure that your supervisor will be glad to know that you're getting better."

Rushing out past the man, Stacey knew one thing beyond a doubt; she wouldn't be giving any further advice to the hospital counselor.

Smiling brightly at him as Lucas pushed the door to, Dara greeted;

"Hi, what brings you out to the hospital today?"

Walking around her desk and pulling her from her chair, Lucas wrapped his arms around her waist as he replied;

"This."

With that he bent his head to place a deep kiss on her soft full lips. Finally, releasing her to sit back in her chair as he sat on the corner of her desk he glanced at the folders scattered on the desktop. Recognizing what they were when he picked one up, he placed, what he hoped was, a neutral look on his face as she asked in a carefully controlled tone;

"Darlin, what on earth are you reading over coroner's reports for? I didn't think that counselors needed to do that."

Taking the folder from his hand, Dara offered;

"Well I thought that maybe if I understood their deaths that I might be better able to help Caleb."

Lucas was very careful to guard the concern in his eyes as he looked at her; she was treading on dangerous ground and he didn't want her to put anything that involved him and the Temple family deaths together. What he found the most shocking to his system was the fact that his concern wasn't centered on being discovered; it was centered on the fear of losing Dara if she learned what had taken place. He had to brace himself when she spoke;

"Lucas, could I please ask you a question?"

Remaining silent, unable to trust his voice, he nodded as he prepared himself for the worst. However, much to his relief, her inquiry wasn't as devastating as he had feared;

"You admit to being Caleb's father, right?"

At his silent nod of affirmation, she continued;

"Then I have to ask; if her marriage was so miserable then why didn't Judith just leave? I know that she ran a shelter so she wouldn't have been out on the street."

Blushing, she demanded;

"And why did you have an affair with her when she was married?"

Visibly relieved that she had asked nothing worse, Lucas sighed as he locked eyes with Dara;

"Judith and I had known each other since we were kids; we cared about each other back then, somewhat at least. After her parents had died she got involved in helping the runaways in Trinity, so I helped her out by buying a house so she could open a shelter. Judith was all alone; she had a sister; Christine, who had been killed in a fire, but even at that they weren't ever really close, but she felt alone with no family left so she ended up marrying Gage Temple, even though she didn't love him and he didn't really love her. See, Gage had been in love with Christine and thought that he could replace her with Judith, but they ended up having a daughter, Merlyn, and she was trying to stick the marriage out for the girl's sake. With Gage being a drunk and the fact that they never really loved each other it wasn't a shock that they were miserable. I had heard how bad things were so, for old time's sake, I went by to check on her and see if there was anything that I could do to help; one thing led to another and that was how Caleb came into the world."

Hoping that he had told her enough of the truth to satisfy her curiosity, Lucas studied her face carefully as he watched her processing his explanation. Satisfied that she had seemed to accept his explanation, he found himself working desperately hard to mask the fear he was feeling inside from appearing on his face as she considered;

"There's something that I don't understand though; why didn't she open the window first? I mean, I can understand jumping from a window, but why on earth wouldn't she have opened it first?"

Worried that, somehow, she might piece everything together, Lucas shook his head as he picked up a folder to punctuate the point he was hoping he would make.

"Darlin, did you read all of her report? She had a bad pregnancy, a worse labor and after she gave birth to Caleb she probably could have been considered clinically insane from the severity of the post partum depression. I don't think that opening a window was something that she was really thinking about right then."

Seeing the serious concentration in her eyes, Lucas found himself infinitely relieved as she gathered the folders together to place them in her out basket as she exclaimed;

"I've had enough morbid thoughts for today."

Relieved, he offered her a genuine smile as she suggested;

"Good, how about some coffee and lunch in the cafeteria?"

Nodding eagerly, as she took the hand he offered before rising from her chair. Holding the door open for her to precede him, Lucas couldn't help but admire how she looked in the teal dress that she was wearing.

That was something that he had definitely noticed and come to appreciate about her; although she didn't dress with the flair of Selena or the down-to-earth way that Gail and Sabbath had, or even the elegant sophistication that Jana had possessed, he couldn't deny that she definitely had a style all her own; if he had to pick a way to describe it, he would call it 'classy and flattering.' The dress she wore now, for example; it was neither long nor short, hanging to just above her knees in a full skirt which was cinched at her waist with a simple, silver chain belt. Her taste in jewelry was something he had to admire about her; rather than going for large, flashy or faddy pieces, he noticed that she preferred simple and elegant. She wore just enough to enhance her appearance but not enough to distract from it Lucas couldn't help but watch appreciatively as she walked down the corridor.

Noticing the strange look that he was wearing out of the corner of her eye, Dara demanded;

"What are you thinking?"

Stopping to turn and look at her, he complimented;

"I'm thinking just how pretty you look in that dress, that's all."

Offering a slight chuckle, she smiled;

"Flattery will get you everywhere; you know that, don't you?"

Catching her playful mood, Lucas couldn't help but grin at her leeringly;

"Everywhere; promise?"

Blushing, she shook her head before offering him a shy smile;

"Well, maybe exactly not 'everywhere'."

Placing her hand on his arm she ventured further in a soft voice;

"At least not just yet."

Lucas couldn't help but feel happily encouraged at her statement as he held the cafeteria door open for her to enter. He had been very careful in his courting of her and although he continued to enter her dreams he never allowed himself to go too far. Lucas had meant what he had said to her mother when he had told her that when he took Dara to his bed it would be as his wife or not at all; he wanted the consummation of their relationship to come when she was totally his, both spiritually and legally. Although she didn't pursue it as actively as he did, Dara still managed to find her way into more than one of his dreams as well.

He couldn't help but find satisfaction in the fact that they were growing closer in their relationship; they saw each other on an, almost, daily basis and she was no longer shy whenever he kissed her openly. Although Lucas knew, from her confession in her dream, that she loved him what he still didn't know was what she was keeping hidden to herself. Whatever it was, he wanted her to trust him enough to confide in him, that being the case, he hadn't tried to pry the information from either her mother or Mrs. Adams.

As she entered the cafeteria Dara caught sight of Matt and waved as she greeted;

"Hi, Matt; how's everything going?"

Matt sighed in resignation, although he considered Dara one of his best friends, he really didn't want to see her at this particular moment; especially since he had just received the results of Gwenna's last batch of tests. He knew that she wasn't going to like what he had to say, but most of all; he didn't want to say it in front of Lucas Buck. Crossing the space to join the couple, he motioned to Dara;

"Could I talk to you for a minute?"

Casting a pointed glance at Lucas, he emphasized;

"In private."

Dara glanced at Lucas; she knew that he wouldn't be particularly thrilled with the exclusion but she also knew that it must be necessary for Matt to ask, that being the case she offered;

"I'll only be a second, okay?"

Accepting his silent nod, she followed Matt to sit on a couch along the farthest wall. Lucas chose a table nearby that allowed him to keep them in his line of sight. Clenching his fists, he found himself aggravated at being excluded from her confidence, even more so when he noticed that she had paled considerably as she began wringing her hands nervously. Early in their relationship, Lucas had noticed that, when she had to deal with something that she didn't really want to but had no choice, she would wring her hands. He couldn't help but wonder what that 'something' was this time.

He had no concerns about the stability of their relationship; however, he couldn't deny that the fact that Matt Crower was privy to what Dara was dealing with and he wasn't was eating away at Lucas more than what he wanted to admit. Deciding that it was more than past time that he knew what was going on, he decided that, as soon as possible, he was going to have a talk with Crower, especially given that he felt he had more right to whatever she was hiding then Crower did.

Joining him at the table, he couldn't help but notice that the smile she had been wearing earlier had been replaced by a look of hopelessness as well as noticing that her eyes were now devoid of the sparkle that had been so apparent just a few minutes before and now only seemed to contain sorrow in their depths. Dara swallowed hard as she bit at her bottom lip before stating quietly;

"Lucas, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to pass on lunch today. There's something that I have to take care of."

Becoming infuriated with her quick dismissal, Lucas rose as she grabbed her arm and ground out in anger between his clenched teeth;

"It's not that simple, darlin; we need to talk."

Having been too stunned by his sudden show of anger, Dara had allowed him to lead her, by her arm, back to her office. However, when he closed the door and turned to face her, the shock had more than worn off and was quickly replaced by anger and frustration at his actions; something very obvious in the fire now flashing from her eyes as she demanded;

"Just what in the hell do you think you're doing, Lucas Buck? I am not a sack to be manhandled, by neither you nor anyone else."

His own anger running high, Lucas crossed his arms over his chest as he retorted;

"I might ask you the same thing, Ms. Chambers. I've waiting patiently, but you haven't been inclined to let me in on your little conferences with the good doctor. So, now I'm asking straight up; what in the hell is going on? I have a right to know."

The anger in her eyes became an almost palpable thing as she glared daggers at him as she thought to herself; _'HOW DARE HE!' _before venturing;

"You're jealous, is that it? I discuss something with Matt in private and you can't stand it, can you? Let me inform you as to 'your rights', Sheriff Buck; what Matt and I were discussing has absolutely nothing to do with you and is, therefore, none of your business. Now, is that plain enough for you to understand, Sheriff?"

Narrowing his gaze, Lucas advised;

"Anything that concerns you is most certainly my business, darlin, so I want some answers."

Finding her patience at a limit with the stress of Matt's news as well as Lucas' behavior, Dara walked calmly to open the door as she turned and looked back at Lucas;

"As I said before; this is none of your damned business and when you come back to your senses then we can talk. Until then; I suggest that you leave, Sheriff."

Walking to the door, Lucas looked down into her icy eyes as defeat showed in his own before stating;

"You know something, lady? You can be an absolute cold-hearted bitch when you want to be."

He wasn't surprised as he walked out the door and heard her slam it with enough force to rattle windows.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

Deciding that it was time for him to find out some information, the scowl on Lucas' face was a clear indication of his determination as he searched out Matt Crower. Finding him in his office, Lucas walked in and took a seat as Matt stared at him; shocked. He had been expecting Dara since she had advised him that, after phoning Mrs. Adams to advise her of what was taking place, she would let him know so that he could make all of the necessary arrangements. Seeing Lucas Buck sitting across from him now, he knew that there was about to be a fight.

His face and tone belying the intensity of his frustration, Lucas smoothly inquired;

"Tell me something, Harvard; what were you and Dara discussing earlier?"

He had known that, sooner or later, this was a definite possibility, that being the case, Matt shook his head;

"Buck, you know that what Ms. Chambers and I discuss is in confidence and, therefore, not subject to anyone else's inquires, even yours."

Lucas narrowed his gaze as he speculated;

"You know, I let your escape from Juniper House slide; not to mention your marriage to Loris Holt; now I suggest that if you want to continue living the happy little life that you've come to enjoy that you start sharing some information. I don't care for being left out of the loop, especially where Ms. Chambers is concerned; now, what's the big mystery here, Crower?"

Having expected Matt to be angry, Lucas found himself confounded by the look of shock that Matt was now wearing as he looked past him to the open doorway. Turning instinctively, Lucas found Dara standing there, wearing a look that could only be described as a combination of shock and heartbreak. He knew the second that he saw the look on her face and the unshed tears brimming in her eyes what was coming.

It took Dara a moment to even process what she had witnessed, then, trying to push the lump that had found its way to lodge in her chest back down, she softly accused;

"Dear God in Heaven, it's true, isn't it; all of it, everything that I've heard whispered? All of the gossip; everything that people have told me about you, everything that I've tried to ignore and it's all true."

Shaking her head in self recrimination, she continued;

"My God, to think that I could love you; how could you be this evil?"

Deciding that he had no right to be witness to what was taking place, Matt approached Dara as he asked softly;

"Dara, have you taken care of it?"

Matt couldn't help but feel his own heart breaking for his friend as he saw the pain in her eyes as she simply nodded in response to his inquiry; not even bothering to wipe away the tears that had begun to stream down her face. Turning to glare at Lucas, he advised;

"I have something that I have to attend to; I'll close the door."

Directing the last of his statement to Dara he offered;

"Call me if you need me, I'll be just outside."

Pulling the door to as he shook his head, Matt couldn't help but think that Dara didn't deserve to have to suffer this much misery. He couldn't stop that thought from echoing through his mind as he picked up the phone to make the transportation arrangements for what would be Gwenna Chambers' last hospital stay.

Dara took a deep breath, trying to wrap her mind around everything that she had witnessed as she stated in a defeated tone;

"How could you be so evil? Everyone tried telling me and I ignored them; I didn't think that you could possibly be anything like what they were describing you to be."

Offering a humorless chuckle as she shook her head, she considered;

"So I guess that makes me a fool now, doesn't it?"

Seeing the absolute naked pain in her eyes, Lucas rose and crossed the space between them to place his hand on her cheek. He felt as if someone had just kicked him in the gut when she looked up at him and begged;

"Please, don't touch me."

Speaking in an even and calm voice, Lucas pleaded;

"Dara, sweetheart, please listen to me; I was furious, you were hurting and I didn't know why. I've waited for you to share whatever is going on with me and let me help you work through it, but you never have; I wanted to know. I was wrong to say what I did to Crower, but please don't do this."

Despite the turmoil and confusion that she was dealing with at the moment, Dara found herself remembering several provocative dreams and the rumors that she had overheard concerning Lucas' supposed abilities. Her eyes widening at the realization of the complete picture those puzzle pieces made, she demanded;

"My God! You did it, didn't you?"

Frightened that her accusation was connected to the Temple family tragedies, slowly, he asked;

"Did what?"

Narrowing her gaze, she accused;

"You came to me in my dreams, didn't you? Somehow, I don't know how, but somehow you did and you made me fall in love with you, didn't you? Damn you! How could you do that to me and why?"

Grateful that this was her realization, Lucas took her hands in his as he led her to a chair before explaining;

"Yes, darlin, I did come to you in your dreams; I'm sorry if that upsets you. But no, I didn't make you fall in low with me; it just doesn't work that way Dara. You did that on you own; I wouldn't want your love if it weren't freely given. Can you please forgive me?"

The confusion evident on her face as well as her difficulty in believing that what she was hearing could be true, she looked at him sadly;

"I don't understand, Lucas; why in my dreams?"

Lowering himself to sit on his heels as he looked into her eyes, Lucas explained;

"Darlin, I did it because, in your dreams, you do and say things that you would never do or say in reality. Would you have ever admitted being in love with me this soon; or would you have let me get so close to you if I hadn't of come to you in your dreams?"

The uncertainty showing in her eyes, she ventured;

"No, I suppose not; but I can't help but feel as if you've invaded me in some way."

Nodding his understanding, Lucas offered a wry smile as he accused;

"Well, if it's any consolation to you, you've been pretty busy at night yourself in my dreams."

Her eyes widening in fear and shock, Dara shook her head vehemently as she swore;

"But I haven't done anything, I swear."

Lucas contradicted her as he confessed;

"I'm sorry, darlin, but that isn't exactly true; you found you way into my heart and soul. Didn't you notice anything strange about your dreams?"

Giving his question some consideration, he quickly realized that she understood what he was referring to by the delicate blush that crept to her cheeks as she spoke;

"You never, you know what I mean."

Nodding he completed the statement for her;

"Consummated the relationship? Darlin, do you have any idea as to why I never went that far, not even in your dreams?"

Feeling as if everything had taken an even more confusing turn, Dara shook her head. Seeing the frustration and confusion in the perplexed look that she now wore, Lucas carefully explained;

"Dara, I know that if people have been whispering about me that you know about the other women that have been in my life, don't you?"

She couldn't deny having heard quite a number of shocking things, but she had ignored them; opting instead to use his current actions and behavior as a rule with which to judge him. Remaining silent, the sorrow evident in her eyes, she nodded sadly. Seeing her inner conflict, Lucas continued his explanation;

"Darlin, I haven't even thought of seeing another woman since I set eyes on you; I swear it on Caleb's life. The reason that I never went that far, even in your dreams, is because I don't want you like those other women; I want you for the rest of my life. Dara, I want to marry you; I don't want you in body only but in spirit as well."

Shocked by his admission, Dara stared at him. Finally, without a word, she rose from her chair leaving Lucas still sitting on his heels, as she walked to the door. Turning she shook her head as she rationalized;

"Lucas, I have to think about this; very hard. I have a lot going on right now and I can't think about this with everything else at the moment. I need to put everything into perspective; I don't know if I can live with what you are, I'm sorry but I just don't know."

Turning the knob she opened the door and left. Having seen Dara leave, Matt entered his office as Lucas was standing to leave; turning to the man in sympathy, Matt offered;

"I'm sorry, Buck, but understand something; I couldn't and still can't tell you what you want to know. But, let me give you some advice; don't push her, be here if and when she needs you, but don't push her or you will lose her. Right now I think that you still have a shot, so for your sake, don't blow it."

Glaring at the man as he was heading out the door, Lucas turned to look over his shoulder as he grumbled;

"Do you know something, Harvard?"

Sighing in agitation, Matt shook his head;

"What, Buck?"

Sighing in dejection, Lucas shook his head;

"I hate it when you're right."

With that he pulled the door closed leaving a shocked Matt Crower to stare after him as he considered aloud;

"I just hope that, for your sake, you take my advice."

Since Dara had been forced to put his sessions on indefinite hold, Caleb had taken to spending his afternoons with his father at the Sheriff's office. He wasn't sure what, but Caleb knew, without a doubt, that something had happened between Lucas and Dara. Even if he didn't have the knowledge that she had spent the past two weeks constantly at her mother's side, since the woman had been admitted to the hospital for what he had heard Dr. Matt say would be her final hospital stay, he knew by his father's ill temper that it had been at least that long since their argument.

Walking into the office and spotting Ben sitting behind his desk, Caleb offered a wave and smile as Ben greeted;

"Hey, Caleb, how you doing?"

Nodding, he headed towards the broom closet to find something to occupy his time. Grateful to see the boy, Ben hoped that his presence might ease Lucas' temper considering how irritable he had become as of late. Ben had no doubt that something had happened between Dara and Lucas and that it had been going on for at least a couple of weeks since that had been how long Lucas had been so unbearable to be around. He didn't have anymore time to consider his theory as Lucas snatched his office door open to brusquely demand;

"Ben, is there any more coffee?"

Seeing Caleb coming up the hallway with a broom in his hand, he observed;

"I thought that you were supposed to be seeing your counselor today, son."

Both Ben and Caleb had noticed that had been another difference in Lucas over the past couple of weeks; he never referred to Dara by her name anymore, it was either 'the counselor' or Ms. Chambers.

Shrugging, Caleb offered;

"Yeah, well I was, but she had to cancel. She said that she'd have to wait and see what happens and then she'd start seeing me again."

Silently, Lucas swore as he thought; _'Damn her, she's supposed to be helping him, not taking little vacations.' _ Shaking his head, Lucas growled;

"That woman is the most inconsiderate, irresponsible, selfish person that I've ever seen."

Having seen her when he had went to the hospital with Dr. Matt, Caleb knew just how bad a time that Dara was truly facing; she hadn't looked like herself with her eyes so darkly shadowed with sadness as well as the weight that she had lost, despite the home-cooked meals that Ms. Crower kept sending for her to eat. He had heard Dr. Matt say that she would only eat a little before going back to sit next to her mother's bed; only leaving for quick showers in the nurse's lounge. Caleb, finding his temper riled at, what he considered, his father's unfair accusations, especially given what he knew, threw down his broom with a loud enough clap to startle both Ben and Lucas as he glared at his father before fuming;

"DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT HER LIKE THAT! She had to cancel; she's got her own problems right now and it ain't right for you to talk about her like that."

Concern replacing his look of irritation, Lucas demanded;

"Caleb, what are you talking about?"

Scowling as he considered what to do, Caleb came to a decision as he explained;

"Well, I ain't supposed to say anything, but it ain't right for you to talk about her like that, so I guess I have to. Her mama is in the hospital; she's dying from cancer. I heard Dr. Matt and Ms. Crower talking and they said that she's on machines right now, but that she has to come off of them by tonight."

Shaking his head sadly he offered; 

"Dara ain't left once; I seen her the other day and she don't look too good either. She's lost a lot of weight and all she does is sit in a chair by her mama's bed, holding her hand. I heard Dr. Matt tell Ms. Crower that she doesn't want anyone to know."

Confused, he looked into his father's eyes as he asked;

"What wouldn't she tell us?"

Remembering something that Mrs. Adams and Gwenna had told him, as well as remembering something from his first meeting with Dara, Lucas stated;

"Because, Caleb, she hates pity."

Turning to Ben he exclaimed;

"Ben, I'm going to the hospital; Caleb, you stay here."

Watching as he hurried out the door, Ben and Caleb offered each other a sad smile as Ben ventured;

"It's about time; wouldn't you say so, Caleb?"

Lucas stalked purposefully up the hallway of the hospital as he headed for the ICU ward. Spotting him as he walked by, Matt quickly intercepted him just outside the entrance door as he shook his head and stated emphatically;

"No, Buck; you can't just storm in there. She can't handle you right now."

Matt found himself shocked as Lucas did something that he had never seen him do before; look him in the eyes without anger or contempt, just simple honesty as he pleaded his case;

"Crower, Matt; I know about her mother and I also know what you have to do by tonight too. She needs someone who loved her to be here with her; so I'm asking, not telling, please let me in there."

Studying the sincerity in the man's face as he considered his request, Matt hoped that his instincts were right as he stepped aside. Although he was shocked, Lucas couldn't help but acknowledge his appreciation with a slight nod of his head as he mumbled;

"Thank you."

Staring him squarely in the eyes, Matt stated his position as he shook his head;

"Don't think that I'm doing this for you, not by a long shot. I'm doing this for Dara; she needs someone, unfortunately, you're the someone that she needs."

Turning, Matt headed for his office leaving Lucas to enter the ward. Making his way up the hallway, Lucas stopped when he spotted Gwenna's name on the temporary nameplate. Quietly, he opened the door and studied the scene in front of him; Dara's head was lying on the bed, next to her mother, as she clutched her mother's hand as if holding on might somehow keep her parent here with her a while longer. He could see by the drastic change in Gwenna's appearance since the last time that he had seen her, just how virulent her disease truly was.

Although he felt saddened by Gwenna's appearance, having developed a fondness and respect for the woman, he found himself sucking in his breath when he realized just how shockingly frail Dara looked. Despite the fact that she was asleep, he could see how deeply shadowed her eyes were as well as the amount of weight that he could see she had lost in such a short period of time. Having quietly entered the room, Matt stood beside Lucas as he motioned towards the bed and explained;

"It started the day that you two had you, uh, discussion. I had the test results on her mother then and this is the only and final alternative."

Staring at the physician in disbelief, Lucas demanded;

"Are you really going to take her off of life support tonight?"

Sighing heavily, hating this aspect of his job, Matt held his hands up in a pleading gesture;

"We have no choice; she has a healthcare directive and it states that if her condition deteriorates and she is placed on any type of life support equipment outside of oxygen, unless she shows signs of progress within two weeks she is to be removed from the equipment. Not only hasn't she shown any signs of improvement, but she's deteriorated rapidly; she lapsed into a coma her second day here."

Shaking his head he confided;

"To be honest, her lungs are almost completely gone and it would only prolong her agony and suffering to keep her on life support."

Motioning to Dara, Matt confessed;

"Believe it or not, I'm glad that you found out, I don't think that Dara is going to be able to handle this alone. She hasn't eaten but a couple of bites here and there since her mother has been here and the only time that she's left is to take a quick shower in the nurse's locker room and that's it. I've tried talking to her, even Caleb came to see her, but unless it's about her mother she doesn't really respond to anybody."

Lucas was contemplating Matt's statement when he noticed Dara open her eyes before she sat up, continuing to hold her mother's hand. Looking around, trying to orient herself to her surroundings, she noticed the two men studying her. Her eyes settling on Lucas with a cold glare, she demanded in an acidic tone;

"What are you doing here; come to make one of your infamous deals? Let's see; me for Mama's life, or have you decided to up the stakes? Do you want my soul instead; I'm curious, which one is it?"

Noticing the sideways glance that Lucas had cast in his direction, Matt wordlessly excused himself to leave them in privacy. As the door closed, Lucas turned back to Dara, the pain and stress evident in the look on her face, most especially her eyes. Ignoring her earlier barbs, he approached her chair as he lowered himself to sit on his heels to shake his head as he cupped her face in his hands before shaking his head;

"No deals; this is God's will and if you can accept that then I have to as well. The only thing that I'm here for is for you; despite what you seem to think, I want you because I love you and I know that you feel the same way about me. All that I'm here for is to take care of you and to help you through this."

Looking into her eyes, Lucas could see that the ice that had been so evident earlier, had been replaced by skepticism as she stated in a sad voice;

"I don't want your pity, Lucas."

Shaking his head vehemently, Lucas stated emphatically;

"You're definitely a stubborn woman Dara Cherice Chambers. Darlin, you have a lot of things; my love, my devotion, my support and my heart, but one thing that you don't have is my pity."

Lucas felt his heart contract as he saw the tears brimming her eyes as she looked into his before giving a slight shake of her head;

"Lucas, I can't take it anymore; it hurts too much. She's all I have and when she's gone I'll be alone."

Putting his arms around her, careful to not loose her hand from her mother's, Lucas stated softly, but decidedly;

"Dara, no matter what, as long as I live you're not ever going to be alone; I swear it. Sweetheart, you may get mad at me, but I'm going to say this anyway; when this is behind us and things are settled down, you and I are getting married. I know that this is the wrong time and place and most definitely not how I wanted to do this. I also know that I've done a lot of reprehensible things to a lot of people,"

Shaking his head, a look of contrition on his face, he swore;

"I can't change that. I'm not a saint and I'm not even going to say that I'm going to turn over a new leaf, but I promise you this; no matter what, I will always be honest with you and I will never hurt you intentionally. But, for right now, I'm not leaving you to deal with this alone."

Searching his eyes for his sincerity, Dara couldn't deny the love and devotion she saw looking back at her. Her look not wavering, she simply bowed her head to his chest and simply let him hold and comfort her. After a few minutes, she raised her head as she confessed;

"I do love you, I hate admitting it, even to myself, for the things that you've done. But, I want you to swear to me that I won't share you with another woman. And I know about Gail and the baby; I want your promise that whatever children we have, it will be because it's God's will and not because you've done something, other than what every other man does to get his wife pregnant, to manipulate it into happening."

The hope evident in his eyes, Lucas looked at her in uncertainty, unsure that he had heard her correctly, then, realizing that she had just agreed to marry him, he took her free hand in his and solemnly stated;

"I swear to you that you will be the only woman that I touch from here until the day that I die. And, whatever children we have we'll be out of our love for each other and for no other reason."

Deciding that he needed to assure her of his veracity, Lucas vowed;

"I promise you that I will try to be a better man, I never want you to be sorry for loving me."

They heard a timid knock on the door as Matt chose that moment to enter as he advised sadly;

"Dara, I'm sorry, but we need to start and I need your signature on some forms."

Turning to Lucas questioningly, the unspoken request in her eyes, he nodded, understanding her concern;

"You go on, darlin, I'll stay with her."

Glancing to her mother as she bit at her bottom lip, Dara finally nodded before turning to Lucas;

"Thank you."

With that she followed Matt from the room. Knowing that Dara wanted her mother to feel that someone was with her at all times, Lucas took Gwenna's hand in his own. He was, to say the least, shocked, when her eyes opened as she pinned Lucas with her gaze before demanding;

"Did you tell her that you love her?"

Nodding, he confessed;

"Yes, I asked her to marry me and she agreed."

Her voice strained from trying to talk around the mask on her face, Gwenna nodded;

"Good, she's better than you deserve, but she loves you and I know that you love her and that you'll take care of her."

Squeezing the woman's hand, Lucas nodded as he vowed;

"I promise you, Gwenna, she's the only woman that I can honestly say that I've ever TRULY loved and I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to be a better man worth having her and making her happy."

Considering a moment, he smiled tenderly as he continued;

"I promise, Gwenna, I'll take good care of your baby."

Offering a weak smile, despite the mask, she nodded as she pleaded;

"Tell Little One that I love her and not to worry, I'm going to a better place."

With her last words and just as Dara entered the room, the alarms on the monitors began screeching as the screen began displaying flat lines that represented Gwenna's vital signs. Dara stared at the monitors before turning to her mother, dawning horror registering in her eyes as she rushed to her mother's bedside to take her mother's hand in her own as she leaned over her mother's body, pleading;

"Oh God, no Mama, please don't leave me, please don't leave."

Having been close behind Dara when she entered, Matt approached the bed and took Gwenna's pulse before placing his stethoscope over her chest. Glancing up into Lucas' questioning face, he shook his head sadly before flipping the switch on the monitor to silence the never ending screech of the alarm. Both men couldn't help but hurt for the pain tearing through Dara as she sobbed, still clutching her mother's hand.

Bending down, Lucas gently placed his arms around Dara to try and comfort her. Rocking her back and forth as he stroked her hair and tried to offer her words of comfort;

"It's alright, sweetheart, let it out, it's okay; she's at peace now. Cry for yourself, but not for her, she's beyond the pain and suffering now. It's okay, love."

Lucas, seeing the door opening as the orderlies entered and glanced to Matt questioningly, realized that, given the fact that Gwenna was due to be removed from life support, they must be there to remove her body. Nodding his understanding as Matt motioned to the door, he turned back towards Dara as he suggested gently;

"Come on, sweetheart, let's get you home for some rest; the battles over here and you did everything possible and she knew that. She loved you; now let her go in peace."

Having quieted considerably, Dara simply nodded; her face seemed to have taken on a blank look as if she didn't really seem to be conscious of anything. Lucas couldn't help but be concerned as he grabbed her purse and, gently, took her arm as he lead her out of the room. Settling her in a nearby chair across from the doorway to, what had been, her mother's room, he advised her softly;

"Dara, love, why don't you sit her for a second while I talk to Matt."

Although he understood the reason, Lucas hated the blank look of pain on her face as she offered a slight nod. Approaching the desk he joined Matt who handed him a small bottle of pills before advising;

"Here, these are to help her sleep; she's exhausted and needs to rest, so do whatever it takes to get her to take one, but otherwise keep them away from her. She's very despondent right now and although I don't think that she would consciously consider it, in her present state she may inadvertently consider taking her own life."

Glaring at Matt, Lucas seethed;

"You know better than that, Harvard; I would never let her harm herself."

Realizing that he should have explained himself more thoroughly, Matt sighed as he clarified;

"Look, I'm not implying anything; I didn't mean that she would do it intentionally. But right now, she's been through a lot and she's despondent which means that she may well sink into depression. The thought may very well simply materialize as the desire to just lie down and rest; I've seen it take a lot of forms at times like this. So just watch her, and I don't believe that I'm saying this, but you need to stay with her until she comes out of this."

The concern and fear evident in his face, Lucas demanded;

"Is she really that bad, Harvard; she'll come out of this right?"

Matt sighed sadly as he leveled with the man;

"Lucas, she's been through a lot and right now, she feels alone; she's had her mother her entire life and suddenly she's found herself without that one constant source of comfort. Not to mention that she's probably harboring a lot of guilt, although she has nothing to feel guilty over. But I think that, in time, she'll come around; in the meantime just be there for her."

Nodding as he considered the man's advice, Lucas returned to where he had left Dara. Noticing that she was still staring straight ahead; a blank look on her face as if she were looking through the wall in front of her, he couldn't help but hate the dead look in her eyes. Although he knew it would take time, he hoped that her eyes would soon sparkle with happiness once again.

Bending over to bring him eye level, Lucas suggested;

"Darlin, I'm going to take you home now, alright? Don't worry, I'm going to stay with you; I'm not leaving you alone."

Although she had turned to look at him as he took her arm to help her stand, Lucas could see that she seemed to be looking through him instead of at him. It was at that moment that the orderlies opened the door and began pushing the gurney that was holding her mother's body out into the hallway. Having turned at the sound of the door opening, Dara's eyes widened at the sight of her mother's body covered with a sheet just before she emitted a small sob of anguish before she fainted.

Having realized what was about to happen when he saw the look on her face at the sight of her mother's body being rolled in front of her eyes, Lucas caught Dara as she collapsed before she could hit the floor. Glaring at the two, highly embarrassed, orderlies, he roared;

"JUST WHAT IN THE HELL WERE YOU TWO IDIOTS THINKING; YOU KNEW THAT SHE WAS SITTING OUT HERE!"

Having heard the commotion, Matt rushed over to examine Dara; taking out his penlight he opened one of her eyes to check and make sure that she was okay as he demanded;

"What happened to her?"

Continuing to glare daggers at the highly chagrined orderlies, Lucas explained;

"These two idiots wheeled her mother's corpse in front of her eyes; is she okay, Crower?"

Nodding, Matt offered;

"Yeah, I think that, with the shock and the strain, she just fainted; it was bound to happen. I can't see keeping her here; the best place for her is away from the hospital for a while anyway. Go ahead and take her home, she'll more than likely be out for the night. But if you have any problems then call me."

Nodding his thanks, Lucas swung Dara's small frame into his arms as he proceeded out to the parking lot and to his car. Once he had her settled in the passenger seat and had slid behind the wheel, he flipped the switch on the CB before grabbing the mic;

"Ben, are you still there?"

Hearing the breaking static, Lucas felt relief as Ben responded;

"Yeah, Lucas; I was just about to go off duty, why?"

Mashing the button on the mic, Lucas explained;

"Look, Ben, Dara's mother died tonight and she isn't taking it very well. I'm going to take her home and stay with her. Crower's concerned that she might do something foolish, especially given everything that she's been through. So if you need me that's where I'll be; do you think that you can cover for me for a couple of day's maybe?"

After a second, Ben responded;

"No problem, Lucas. Is there anything else that I can do to help?"

Considering his offer as he glanced at Dara, still unconscious, Lucas replied;

"Yes, as a matter of fact there is. First; get her car and have it taken to my house, she won't need it for a few days. Then go by Trinity Glen tomorrow and see if there were any arrangements already made for Gwenna; Dara's not in any condition to try and make those kinds of decisions right now."

Ben's voice broke the airwaves as he acknowledge;

"No problem, Lucas; I'll get with you after I talk to them. Out."

Switching the radio off before turning the key in the ignition, Lucas sat for a moment in indecision before making his decision and heading in the direction of Dara's house.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

Lucas had just opened the passenger side door, after having pulled into Dara's driveway, as Mrs. Adams opened the front door. Gathering her in his arms, Lucas made his way inside and headed to her bedroom as Mrs. Adams hurried to pull the covers back as he laid Dara on her bed. Glancing at him suspiciously as he began taking her shoes off and unfastening her clothing, Mrs. Adams offered;

"I can put her gown on her, Lucas. There isn't any need for you to do this."

Sighing wearily, Lucas explained;

"It's alright, Mrs. A; I promise. We're getting married shortly anyway, I'll see a lot more than this, I'm sure."

Watching as the matronly lady turned red, Lucas pleaded;

"Besides, all that I want to do is to make her comfortable; she's in no condition for ravishment."

Realizing the sincerity of his answer, she helped him to undress and slip a gown on Dara. After he had made certain that she was tucked in and warm enough, as well as making sure the bathroom light was left on, just in case she woke up; he and Mrs. Adams walked into the living room as he stated accusingly;

"I suppose that Crower called you; let me guess, you two don't trust me, is that it?"

Shaking her head, Mrs. Adams face brooked no tolerance as she chastised;

"Don't be snide with me, Lucas Buck; now is definitely not the time for it. Yes, Matt did call, but he called to let me know that Gwenna had passed away and that he thought, for Dara's sake, that having the medical equipment removed would be a good idea so he made arrangements to that end. I take it Dara took it very badly."

Running his hand through his hair in agitation, Lucas nodded;

"She did; she was already despondent, but those idiot orderlies rolling her mother's body in front of her eyes didn't help very much either."

Shaking his head as a look of frustrated pain came to his features, Lucas explained;

"She was having a hard enough time as it was. The look in her eyes; it was like she just couldn't believe what had happened and her mind just wasn't able to wrap itself around any of it."

Remembering the relationship that she had witnessed between Dara and Gwenna as well as having grown very fond of both mother and daughter, Mrs. Adams found herself wiping tears from her eyes as she offered;

"Well, Lucas, you know that Dara and Gwenna had a very close relationship; more than just that of a mother and daughter, they were also friends. For Dara, that's been a lifelong relationship that she has always been able to count on and now; the one person that she always thought she would be able to go to, no matter what, is no long here for her. Add to that the fact that she watched her mother's suffering and decline from cancer; it's no wonder the poor girl collapsed."

Taking in the information Lucas had to admit that he envied Dara the relationship that she had enjoyed with her mother. He had never really known his own mother; having left when he was a young boy. Oh he had vague memories of her but the only mother that, as far as he was concerned, he had ever really had was Mama Lucy, his grandmother. Even before his father's death and the end of the man's cruelty and abuse, Lucas could remember his grandmother stepping in to soften the severity of his father's rampages as much as possible.

Lucas found himself shaken from his reveries as Mrs. Adams asked in an incredulous tone;

"Did I understand what you said earlier correctly; you and Dara are going to get married?"

Nodding as he offered a wry smile, Lucas shrugged;

"Well, it definitely wasn't how I had planned on asking her; but yes, I asked her before her mother passed and she said yes."

Considering his statement, Mrs. Adams couldn't help but remember Gwenna's certainty in the feelings that this man possessed for her daughter or in her certainty that the two would end up wed. Silently, she now prayed that Dara would be happy and that she was making the right decision. Her mind going to more practical matters, she ventured;

"You realized that, in her current state of mind, she really shouldn't be left alone right now."

Lucas couldn't help but wonder if the woman was reading his mind as he explained;

"She won't be; Ben can take over for a few days since I have no intention of leaving her by herself. However, I know this is an imposition but since you're here I'd like to go grab a few things from my house, if you wouldn't mind."

Nodding, she encouraged;

"By all means; I have to wait for the medical equipment company to come remove the equipment anyway, so I don't mind at all."

Preparing to leave, Lucas informed her;

"I won't be but about half an hour at the most; I really hate to ask you this but could you find me a pillow and some blankets? I'll sleep on the sofa since it's near her bedroom, just in case she should need me. And, if it's not too much of an imposition, I skipped supper, would you mind rustling me up something to eat?"

Unable to keep from bestowing a motherly smile on him, Mrs. Adams came to find that she was enjoying seeing this new side of Lucas Buck's character as she promised;

"I'll be more than happy to do that for you; I'll have something waiting for you when you get back."

Although the gentler side of his character had taken her by surprise, Mrs. Adams found herself even more shocked as he stopped on his way out the door to place a kiss on her cheek as he offered in gratefulness;

"Thank you for caring."

Ellen Adams couldn't help but stare after him as he pulled the door too, shocked by his show of emotion.

Ten minutes later Lucas pulled into his driveway; despite the pall over Gwenna Chambers' death, as he approached the front door of his house, he couldn't help but take a moment to stare at the structure as he realized, for the first time, just how large it now seemed to him. Raising his key, about to unlock the door, he found himself muttering;

"Somehow, I think that a certain young lady is about to change that."

Before he could insert the key in the lock Lucas found his front door opening as his grandmother stood in the portal. Shocked, he demanded;

"Mama Lucy, what are you doing here and at this time of night?"

Offering a loving smile at her only grandson, only being the operative word, Lucilla Buck chastised lightly;

"Well hello to you too, Lucas."

The fact was that she doted on her grandson, having raised him she couldn't help but bestow a look of fondness on him as she advised;

"I thought that I'd come down here so that I could be here when you tie the knot; nothing wrong with that I hope."

In a decided hurry, Lucas rushed through the house, his grandmother following in his wake, as he made his way to his bedroom while offering a quick explanation to be followed by a quicker goodbye;

"Look, Mama, if it will make you happy then I'll go ahead and tell you; I don't need your assistance with Dara, as a matter of fact I asked her to marry me and she said yes."

Lucas found himself gritting his teeth in aggravation as her eyes widened just before the look of triumph crossed her features before issuing his dictate;

"However, right now we, and that means you and I, are not going to discuss this with anyone. Do I make myself clear?"

Curiosity filling the depths of her eyes, Lucilla demanded;

"And just why the secrecy, Lucas;"

Glee replacing the curiosity, she clasped her hands together as she ventured;

"She's not pregnant, is she?"

Trying to keep his temper under control with her assumption, Lucas took a deep, steadying breath as he turned on his grandmother, the frustration flashing in his eyes before grinding out;

"For God's sake, Mama; no she's not pregnant. You know damn good and well that I haven't even touched her like that and that I have no intentions of it until she's my wife."

Raising an eyebrow as she gave him a sharp, knowing look, Lucilla demanded;

"Not even in those little visits that you've taken in her dreams at night; you mean that you haven't even taken the opportunity then?"

Shaking his head vehemently, Lucas swore;

"No, not even then; despite what your plans for her and I are, mine happen to be very different. I happen to love Dara and she will not, I repeat WILL NOT be subjected to what all the other Buck women were subjected to. And, Mama, I'm warning you, if you try to interfere, I promise you, as far as I'm concerned the Buck will definitely stop here."

Noting the thunderous look on her grandson's face and realizing that he meant every word of what he had just said; Lucilla decided that she would most assuredly refrain from interfering in Lucas' marriage. Nodding her acquiescence, she vowed;

"Alright, Lucas, you've made your point; I won't interfere, I swear it. But just tell me why the big secret about it."

Knowing that, if his grandmother gave her word, she would keep it, Lucas explained the earlier events of the evening as well as his intentions;

"Her mother died tonight and she isn't taking it very well; aside from that, I just don't think that the timing is appropriate. When things settle back down and she starts feeling more like herself then we'll discuss everything, alright?"

Satisfied that her grandson was making the right decision, she nodded towards the bag that he was packing;

"What are you packing a bag for?"

Offering her an apologetic look, Lucas explained;

"I hate leaving you here on your own, Mama, but she doesn't need to be left alone right now. She needs someone who loves her to help her through this."

Nodding her understanding, she smiled as she observed;

"And you're that someone; you go on and I'll be just fine, but tell Caleb that I'm here. I wouldn't want to miss seeing him. Besides, she needs you more right now than anybody else."

Zipping his bag before throwing it over his shoulder, Lucas made his way to the door to bend down and place a kiss on his grandmother's cheek as he promised;

"I'll call you in the morning and I'll tell Caleb that you're here. As soon as she's up to it you can meet your future granddaughter in law."

Lucilla stood at the top of the staircase, watching as he walked out the door before shaking her head;

"I still that girl is going to shake this family by the roots, but maybe that's what we need."

Mrs. Adams had just finished signing the forms acknowledging that the hospital equipment the deliverymen were picking up had all been accounted for when Lucas walked up on the front porch. Seeing his most immediate concern reflected in his eyes, she sought to ease his mind;

"She's still asleep; I looked in on her to make certain that they didn't wake her with the noise."

Nodding his acceptance of her statement, Lucas strode purposefully towards Dara's bedroom; taking time to drop his bag by the sofa on his way. Although he had no doubts in Mrs. Adams' sincerity as she had assured him that Dara was resting, he needed to assure himself for his own peace of mind. Opening the door quietly, he could see that she was still sleeping as he approached the bed to study her more closely as he knelt down to smooth her tousled hair away form her face. Gently, he took the hand that she had resting on the pillow next to her head as he offered quietly;

"It's alright, sweetheart, you rest; you have more than enough to face over the next few days."

With that, he leaned over to gently place a kiss on her lips before making certain that she was warm enough before closing the door softly behind him.

Mrs. Adams had just closed the front door when she heard Lucas enter the living room, turning she apologized;

"Lucas, I'm afraid that there isn't very much in the kitchen."

Glancing to the bedroom door, she explained;

"Dara was due to go grocery shopping just before Gwenna went into the hospital, but with everything, the poor thing, she simply wasn't able to get to it. I scrambled you some eggs and fried some bacon; there's also some toast, coffee and a couple of pancakes; I hope that will be alright?"

Nodding as he offered the woman a smile;

"That sounds great, Mrs. Adams, that will just hit the spot, thank you."

Following her into the kitchen, he took a seat at the end of the center island as he began attacking the food that she had placed in front of him before taking a seat at the opposite end with her own cup of coffee. Noticing a stack of correspondence in the middle of the counter, Lucas motioned to the pile as he demanded, between bites of pancake;

"What are those?"

Sighing in agitation for the girl's situation, Mrs. Adams explained;

"I'm afraid that they're an assortment of bills; mostly medical, the utilities and a few other things."

Shaking her head she glanced up at him sadly as she observed;

"Dara usually keeps everything in such good order, she's very organized, but with all of the time that she's missed from her counseling as well as the hospital bills and so forth I'm not sure how she's ever going to find herself on level ground again."

Puzzled, Lucas asked;

"But didn't Gwenna have any health or life insurance?"

Sadly, Mrs. Adams nodded as she explained the situation;

"She had health insurance but that won't pay for all of the medical expenses and as far as life insurance goes; take it from me, after the funeral expenses are taken care of, whatever is left, if anything won't be nearly enough to cover everything."

A look of contention crossing her features, she shook her head;

"Besides, I can assure you that, from everything I've heard of him, Seth will be here within the next few days with his hand out for what he considers his share. I'm just not certain as to what the poor girl is going to do. She's usually very strong, as you well know, but to be honest I think that this is all going to overwhelm her."

Lucas couldn't deny the fact that Dara was both strong and strong willed, but he didn't think that Mrs. Adams realized that he had no intentions of allowing anyone or anything to overwhelm her ever again. Giving consideration to another aspect that she had mentioned, Lucas narrowed his gaze in contemplation as he asked;

"Tell me something; what's the deal with this brother of hers' anyway?"

Having already realized that the subject of Seth Chambers was going to be one that Lucas Buck was going to want to discuss candidly, Mrs. Adams explained in stark honesty;

"Bluntly; he is a manipulative bully. You have to understand something; there are four children including Dara and I'm sure that you'll be meeting them soon enough. Mara is the oldest, then there is Kara, Seth and finally, Dara, she's the youngest. When Seth was a baby he was very ill and Gwenna worried and was even told by doctors that she would never raise him. But, the doctors couldn't explain the reason for the illness, anyway, just as suddenly as he became ill he suddenly recovered; again there was no explanation for the recovery either."

Shaking her head as she remembered her friend's confession where her child had been concerned, she continued;

"Seth had always seemed able to wind Gwenna around his finger; Alex, the children's father, tried disciplining the boy but Gwenna became overly protective and wouldn't allow it. It got to a point where if he did anything wrong he would place the blame on one of the girls and, quite often, got away with whatever he did."

Lucas sat patiently, processing the information she had shared so far, as he waited while she refilled their coffee mugs before continuing;

"Anyway, this all became very frustrating for Alex, combined with the issues he was dealing with from his time in Vietnam as well as the toll his alcoholism had begun to take; he began taking his frustrations out on the girls on top of what they had to deal with from Seth. The two older girls were better able to defend themselves from him, but Dara was a much different matter. He resented that she had taken his place as the youngest child; there's a number of years between she and the others. Well, he began mistreating and abusing Dara, very badly; it was so bad that he even managed to break her collarbone when she was about seven. You know how small she is now, just imagine her at seven; the older girls did a lot to try and protect her, but it was decided that, just before her parents finally separated it would be best if she were sent to live with her grandparents for a while to prevent her from being seriously injured by Seth."

Given the information that he had just learned, Lucas' determination that his future brother in law would never cause Dara another moment's concern had doubled in intensity as he demanded;

"And now; where is he now?"

Shaking her head, she theorized;

"As far as where is he physically; I don't know. You see he ran up a number of debts in Gwenna's name, which Dara paid to keep her mother out of debt and trouble. When Gwenna became ill his answer was to place her in a nursing home and Dara wouldn't allow it; that's why she moved them here so that he wouldn't be able to track them and to give Gwenna some peace in the time that she had left."

The anger evident on his face, Lucas questioned;

"Do you think that, after all of that, he'd really show up here?"

Considering his inquiry, she nodded as she affirmed; 

"Yes, I do; especially if he thinks that there might be some money involved. I wouldn't be shocked if he tried to force Dara to sell the house; since you two are getting married she may do so just so he'll leave her in peace."

Seething in anger, Lucas shook his head;

"THIS is Dara's house and if she chooses to sell it then it will be because SHE wants to and not because she was forced to, by anyone."

Studying his reaction for a moment, she realized that, although he had a dark side, he would never allow anyone to harm Dara. Watching a he picked up the stack of envelopes she wasn't shocked when he handed them to her before requesting;

"Will you please check on these and any other bills that you can think of? Find out how much it will be to pay them all off and then let me know."

Her skepticism apparent, she pointed out;

"You do realize that Dara isn't going to like that, don't you?"

Meeting her look with a determined one of his own, Lucas stood his ground;

"She is going to be my wife; what's mine is hers and vice versa so all that I'm doing is paying off OUR debts."

Sighing in resignation, she gave in;

"Alright; I'll work on them tomorrow. What about the funeral arrange…."

Lucas didn't give her a chance to finish her inquiry as he knocked the bar stool that he had been sitting on over as he heard a blood curdling scream from Dara's bedroom. Bolting from the kitchen he was in her bedroom in the blink of an eye, followed by Mrs. Adams, to find Dara in the middle of the bed thrashing, still asleep; obviously caught in the throes of a nightmare that wasn't letting her out of its grip.

Rushing to the side of the bed, he gently grabbed her flailing hands as he began trying to either wake her or calm her back to sleep;

"DARA, WAKE UP! DARLIN, COME ON IT'S JUST A DREAM, LET IT GO!"

Seeing that he wasn't having much success, Mrs. Adams asked in panic;

"What can I do?"

Motioning to the living room he ordered;

"Get Crower on the phone."

Seeing that Mrs. Adams had done as asked, Lucas turned his attention to seeing about calming Dara, who had begun to hyperventilate while still unconscious. Unable to stand seeing her in such obvious distress, he made his decision as he gathered her still struggling body in his arms and cradled her to him as he closed his eyes and began drifting towards her in his mind and, finally, he found her in her nightmare.

Seeing the horror that her mind had conjured he could understand why she was so hysterical; she was, once again, in her mother's hospital room, reliving the moment of Gwenna's death. However, this time, instead of passing peaceably, it seemed as if the cancer had engulfed her from the inside out, dissolving her flesh as it slid to the floor to spread and cover everything that it touched. Massing into a hideous slimy creature, it slid its way across the floor towards Dara, who was huddled in a corner, shaking in fear.

As the mass got closer to her the creature extended its claw like hands towards her throat as it accused in a rasping and hideous screech like voice;

"This is your fault, now it's your turn to suffer."

Immersing himself fully into her dream, Lucas crossed the space to place himself between Dara and the creature as he roughly shoved it away from Dara before confronting the phantom of her dream;

"Leave her alone, this isn't her doing; she has no control over what's God's will and you have no right to punish her."

As quickly as the specter appeared it vanished. Pulling her to him, he wasn't surprised when Dara looked up at him;

"You're doing it again, but this time I've glad that you did."

Resting his chin on top of her head, Lucas vowed;

"I'll always come when you need me; rest now it won't be back."

Opening his eyes, he glanced down at Dara and could see that, although she was still sleeping, she had quieted and was once more breathing normally. Rising from the bed with her in his arms, he settled her, once more, in her bed and pulled the comforter over her as he pushed her hair away from her face. Lucas wasn't shocked when she opened her eyes to sleepily mumble;

"Thank you."

before sinking back into slumber for, what he hoped would be, the rest of the night. Placing a kiss on her cheek he offered softly;

"You're more than welcome, love."

Switching the lamp off he pulled the door to and approached Mrs. Adams, who was engaged in a phone conversation with Matt Crower. Motioning for the receiver he wasn't shocked by the worry marking her face as she relinquished it to him to listen to his explanation;

"Hello, yeah, Harvard; no, its okay she just had a nightmare. I don't think so, I'm sorry that I bothered you but I think that she'll sleep the rest of the night. Okay, bye."

With that he pushed the button to end the call as he placed the handset on the charger before turning to Mrs. Adams. Noting the worried look he hastened to assure her;

"It's alright, she's fine now. She just had a really bad nightmare but I think that she'll sleep for the rest of the night."

Glancing to the sofa and the bedding that she had piled on it for him, he ventured;

"Speaking of which, I know that I could use a little myself and I'm sure that you must be tired too."

Realizing that was her cue to leave, she walked to the entryway table and picked up her purse as she advised him;

"Lucas, my number is by the phone, should, either, you or Dara need anything please call me; otherwise, I'll be over tomorrow, goodnight."

After he had locked the front door behind her, Lucas made his way through the house, turning off the lights and making sure the doors and windows were secure. As he approached, what had been, Gwenna's room, he found himself pausing as he pushed the door open and flipped the switch to bring the overhead light fixture to life. Glancing about the room he realized just how empty it seemed without the presence of the hospital bed, even more so without the woman who had occupied it.

Although he had been in the room before, Lucas couldn't help himself from taking in the various photographs that were displayed on the walls, dresser and tables in the room. Picking up a silver frame from the bedside table, he could see that it was, what he assumed, a graduation portrait of Dara. Placing the photo back in its place he found himself drawn to another photo of, what he guessed were, the three sisters. Grant it, Dara was much younger in this photo but it was easy to discern her from the others by the color of her hair and eyes. Noticing a photo on the dresser, he took the frame in his hand and studied the image; realizing that this was a photo of all four children, although Dara was no more than a baby. Even had he not been able to recognize her by the color of her hair and eyes, he knew instantly that the infant in the photo was Dara by the gleam in the child's eyes that he had grown accustomed to seeing in Dara's.

He couldn't help but feel as if, somehow, he were intruding as he wandered among Gwenna's treasured memories of her children; that thought in mind he flipped the light switch before pulling the door to behind him as he glanced at the sofa. He was indeed tired but he realized that he would be no more comfortable there then where he truly wanted to pass the hours until morning. Making his way to Dara's room he softly opened the door as he entered the room quietly.

Making certain that she was still sleeping soundly, he silently pulled the padded rocking chair closer to the bed so that he would be able to, at least, stretch his legs out. Once he was satisfied with his efforts, he readjusted the comforter over Dara and placing a gentle kiss on her lips before he took his place in the chair to keep watch over her till the morning.

Lucas wasn't sure how long he had been sleeping, but he knew, even before opening his eyes, that something was different. Although he was still in the rocking chair with his legs stretched out on the bed, he realized that a blanket had been placed over him. Taking a second to orient himself to his surroundings, he realized that the bed was empty. Glancing at the alarm clock on the nightstand he could see that it was about two a.m. Standing to stretch, he went in search of Dara.

Having searched the entire house and having not found Dara, Lucas was beginning to feel fear until he walked by the picture window in the living room that overlooked the river and saw her standing at the end of the pier. Grabbing his own coat from the sofa where he had tossed it earlier, he made his way out the back door near the large window and headed towards the pier.

Dara leaned against the railing of the pier as she studied the water, as if she thought that it might hold a cure to help ease the pain she felt tearing at her heart. Not bothering to turn around when she felt two strong, familiar hands drape the oversized jacket over her small shoulders, already knowing who it was, she simply sighed as she asked softly;

"She's really gone, isn't she?"

Lucas nodded as he wrapped his arms around her before offering;

"I'm truly sorry, sweetheart, but yes, she is gone."

He knew that her thoughts were, more than likely, jumbled in her mind, but Lucas couldn't help but feel a stabbing pain in his heart for the depth of the misery that he knew she was suffering. However, he wasn't prepared for the self recrimination in her voice as she hung her head, as if she were filled with shame before confessing;

"I feel so guilty, Lucas; I watched her suffer for so long that I began praying that the suffering would end for her as soon as possible. Then, when Matt told me that this would be the last time that she would be in the hospital, that her condition had advanced so far, all that I could think about was how badly I wanted her to stay with me; to not leave me alone."

Shaking her head at, what she perceived to be, her guilt, she continued;

"I feel like I'm the biggest hypocrite in the world right now."

Turning her to face him, Lucas hooked his finger under her chin to lift her eyes to meet his as he shook his head adamantly;

"Darlin, you have absolutely nothing that you need to feel guilty about. You did what a lot of people wouldn't do, not even for their parents. Honey, what you felt, it's only natural. Do you remember what we talked about last night; well if you do then you know that you're not alone and as long as I live you never will be; I promise you that."

Searching his eyes, she asked softly;

"Did you really mean what you said last night?"

Placing his hand along her cheek, Lucas smiled sadly as he offered;

"Honey, I know that it wasn't the best way to propose and it definitely wasn't how I wanted to do it; but, yes, I meant it. When all of this is settled and behind us then we'll get married; however you want to."

Tilting her head to the side as she considered his statement, she questioned;

"How did you want to propose?"

Never letting his eyes lose contact with hers, Lucas knelt on one knee before taking her hand in his as he ventured;

"Dara Cherice Chambers, I love you with all of my heart and soul, something that I didn't even think I possessed until I set eyes on you. I want you to be by my side for the rest of my life and to be the mother of my children. I know that I'm not a saint and I'm not going to promise you that I'll change but I promise you this; no matter what, I will always love you and only you and I will always be honest with you. I will do my best to be a better man so that you never regret being my wife. Will you please marry me?"

Searching his eyes for his sincerity, Dara could see the seriousness with which he took his pledge. Biting her bottom lip, she offered a small smile as she cupped his face in her hands before replying;

"Lucas Buck, you are, without a doubt, the most manipulative, arrogant and stubborn man that I have ever had the pleasure to meet. But, I do love you with all of my heart and soul and I can't imagine anyone else being the father of my children; so yes, I'll marry you."

Wrapping his arms around her, Lucas lowered his head and kissed her deeply. When he lifted his head he looked into her eyes as he suggested;

"Tomorrow, if you're up to it, we'll see about settling everything with your mother's arrangements. Afterwards, if you want, we'll see about getting our marriage license; alright?"

Nodding sadly as tears began falling from her eyes, she lamented;

"I just wish that Mama were here to see us get married; she wanted me to be settled so that she would know that I wasn't alone."

Lucas, seeing her obvious pain at the thought of her mother having been unaware of her child's security, decided to ease her mind by sharing his and Gwenna's conversation;

"Darlin, do you remember the night that you and I went to Sally's restaurant?"

At her nod, he continued;

"Well, while I was waiting for you to finish dressing, you mother and I had a long talk. She wanted to know, point blank, if I cared for you; I told her that I didn't think that was the right word for what I feel for you, that love was a better word, although even it doesn't fit just how strong what I feel for you is. Anyway, I told your mother then that I knew you were working through your own feelings and that I wasn't going to push you because I was afraid of losing you if I did."

Seeing the shocked look on her face, he decided to continue; deciding that he might as well make a full confession;

"Dara, I told her then that I planned on making you my wife and that I was going to marry you when you were ready."

Realizing the source of his anger the day of their argument, she ventured;

"That's why you were so angry with me that day, wasn't it? You wanted to be included and you wanted me to share what was going on with you, to include you."

Nodding he explained; 

"Yes, darlin; all I knew was that you were hurting, but I wasn't exactly sure why. I had no idea that your mother was terminally ill and I'm afraid I let my jealousy override my good sense that day."

Concerned that he would trigger a flashback of the horror she had witnessed after her mother's death, he asked cautiously;

"Do you remember when you went to sign the papers earlier tonight?"

Considering a moment, she shook her head as she offered apologetically;

"I'm sorry, darling, but no I don't. I remember leaving the room but to be honest with you, everything afterwards is just kind of a blur; why?"

Glad that she didn't remember seeing her mother's body wheeled in front of her eyes, Lucas explained;

"Well I knew that you wanted her to feel like someone was there with her at all times, so I took her hand when you left. Anyway, when I did she opened her eyes and asked me if I had asked you to marry me and if you said yes. She said that you were better than what I deserved but that she knew that we love each other and that I would take care of you. She also said; 'tell Little One not to worry that I'm going to a much better place and that I love her."

Dara stood, staring in shock as she remembered her mother's promise that she would always know if there was something taking place with her children. Shaking her head in astonishment, she stated;

"She knew, even then, she knew. She always said that she could tell when something was going on with one of us."

Seeing how she was beginning to shiver, despite the warmth of his coat, Lucas noticed that the slippers she wore were hardly adequate for the cold, hard and uneven ground. Deciding that they had been out in the damp night air long enough, he observed;

"I think that you, my love, have had enough of this cold, damp night air."

With that he swept her up in his arms before making his way inside. After kicking the door shut behind him Lucas set her back on her feet as he remembered Crowers statement regarding the lack of meals that she had taken. Although he had suggested that she try to eat something, she refused, explaining;

"No, I'm not hungry; I promise that I'll eat something in the morning. Let's watch some TV, I don't want to go back to sleep right now and I need the distraction."

Grabbing the remote as he passed by the set, he handed it to Dara as he settled himself on the sofa. Propping his feet on the coffee table, he took the blanket from the back of the sofa to place over he and Dara; once she had made herself comfortable as well. Lucas couldn't help but chuckle as he glanced down at her small frame with her head lying on his chest and the rest of her stretched out on the sofa. Shaking his head he demanded;

"You do see the unfairness of the situation, don't you? I take up at least half the couch and I still have to stretch out on the coffee table; you, on the other hand, don't even have to curl up. You definitely get the better end of the bargain."

Pretending hurt at his observation, Dara made as if to rise as she offered;

"Well if you'd rather, I can sit in the rocking chair."

Pulling her back against his side, Lucas shook his head vehemently;

"Not on your life; I like you like this beside me."

With that they settled down as both fell asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11**

Mrs. Adams found herself having a difficult time as she attempted to juggle a bag of groceries, as well as her purse, all while trying to finagle her key to Dara's house into the front door lock. Sighing in frustration as she shook her head she yelped in surprise as she heard;

"Here, Mrs. Adams, let me take that."

Turning, she found Ben Healy standing behind her, plucking the bag from her arms so that she could unlock the door. Placing her hand over her chest she offered an embarrassed smile;

"Thank you, Ben."

Motioning to the bag she explained;

"Dara didn't have the opportunity to go shopping before Gwenna went into the hospital; I thought that I would stop and pick up, at least, enough to make sure there was something substantial for breakfast."

Her curiosity peaked, she asked;

"What brings you here so early?"

Shifting the bag, Ben explained;

"Well, Lucas asked me last night when he told me about Mrs. Chambers if I'd check with Jed over at Trinity Glen and see if there were any pre arrangements made. He didn't think that Dara would be up to making those kinds of decisions so he was trying to see about making things as easy as possible for her."

Mrs. Adams nodded her understanding as she opened the door and motioned for Ben to follow her;

"Yes, thankfully, Gwenna made sure that was all arranged beforehand. She said the idea of forcing her child to make such a decision at what, she knew would be, one of the worst times in Dara's life, was something that she just wasn't able to do to the girl."

Ben was about to reply when she turned and cautioned him to silence as they passed by the doorway to the living room. Neither were prepared for the sight that greeted them of Lucas sleeping, still sitting in the corner of the sofa with his legs stretched out on the coffee table, while Dara had her head laying on his lap as, she too, was sleeping soundly. Motioning Ben to the kitchen door, Mrs. Adams hurried through the portal as she began making a pot of coffee. Sitting the bag on the center isle Ben stood, speechless, as he glanced back and forth between Mrs. Adams and the kitchen doorway, shocked by the scene that he had just witnessed. The idea of Lucas Buck being capable of the kind of tenderness that he had just seen was the LAST thing that Ben would have expected from Lucas.

Although he had vaguely heard the door open, he knew that Mrs. Adams would be returning this morning so Lucas, not yet ready to awaken, had dismissed it until he heard the sizzle of bacon and could detect the scent of coffee brewing in the kitchen. Opening his eyes, he glanced down at Dara, still sleeping, and decided to let her sleep a little longer as he eased himself from the sofa as he placed a pillow under her head. Venturing to the kitchen he opened the door as he inquired;

"Did I smell coffee?"

Turning from the counter with a cup in her hand, Mrs. Adams nodded as she offered it to Lucas;

"Yes, you most certainly did and I'm also cooking something for you and Dara for breakfast as well."

Taking a bracing sip of the strong liquid, Lucas exclaimed;

"You're definitely a treasure, Mrs. A."

Noticing Ben sipping his own cup, Lucas acknowledged;

"Ben; what did you find out?"

Pulling an envelope from his jacket pocket, Ben handed it to Lucas as he related;

"I talked to Jed and he said that Mrs. Chambers had already made all of her arrangements, to that's taken care of. Those are the papers that he said will need a signature and he said that, since you're sheriff, if Dara can't sign them you can. That other is from Doc Crower; he said he pulled her personnel file and that's the number for her sister in Alabama; she's her emergency contact. By the way; how is she?"

Taking a sip from his cup, Lucas ventured;

"She's better, I think; she woke up for a little while last night and we talked. I think that she'll be okay; she's definitely going to have a few more rough times to get past before this is over with, but I do think that she'll be alright. By the way; would you happen to know where Caleb might be?"

Recalling what the boy had mentioned the day before in passing, Ben nodded;

"Yeah, he said something yesterday about helping Mrs. Crower out with some gardening today; why?"

Gratefully accepting the plate of bacon and eggs that Mrs. Adams had just placed in front of him, Lucas explained;

"You might as well know it now, Ben; I asked Dara to marry me and she said 'yes'. I want to tell Caleb myself, but for right now, especially considering her mother's death, keep it to yourself; okay?"

Ben couldn't help but stare in shock at Lucas, his mouth agape. Although he knew, without a doubt, that Lucas loved Dara, hearing that the man was voluntarily stepping up to the alter, still packed a shock to Ben's system. However, quickly recovering from his shock as he made his way to the door, Ben couldn't refrain from slapping Lucas on the back, good naturedly, as he speculated;

"That's the best decision that you ever made, Lucas."

Although he turned a glare on the man, Lucas couldn't hold his gruffness as he shook his head;

"I do manage to make a few of them here and there, Ben; but I think you're definitely right in this case."

Having remained silent during the conversation between the two men, Mrs. Adams watched as the door closed behind Ben before turning to Lucas and asking hesitantly;

"You two are definitely getting married?"

Sighing with thinly veiled frustration at the cross examination, Lucas demanded;

"Didn't we already cover all of this, Mrs. A?"

Defensively, she explained;

"I was just wondering if you had given any consideration as to when you were going to get married; that's all."

Rubbing the back of his neck as he considered, Lucas shrugged;

"Well, I thought that we'd wait until everything with Gwenna was settled; Dara's got too much to cope with at the moment to be trying to worry about planning a wedding. Not to mention, I want her to be able to catch her breath after all of this, I know that she's had a lot to deal with for a while and I'm not about to put anymore stress on her; so when she tells me that she's ready, that's when we'll get married."

Before either could discuss the matter any further Dara entered the kitchen, sleepily pushing her long tumble of hair over her shoulder. Noting her appearance, Mrs. Adams could see that, although the shadows of her tears were still evident, she couldn't deny that she, in fact, did look more rested then she had in the previous two weeks. Offering her a tender smile, she greeted brightly;

"Morning dear, would you like some coffee?"

Silently, Dara shook her head as she walked into Lucas' waiting embrace; as she burrowed closer, as if seeking warmth, as he placed a light kiss on the top of her head;

"Morning, darlin; are you feeling any better, how about something to eat?"

Mumbling, Dara tried to refuse;

"I'm not really hungry."

Motioning for Mrs. Adams to fix her plate, he reminded her;

"Well, how about some toast and juice? You need something in your stomach and you promised me last night that you'd eat something this morning; remember?"

Settling her at the isle as Mrs. Adams placed a plate and glass in front of her, Lucas nodded, satisfied as she began nibbling at the toast and sipping at her juice before venturing;

"I need to call my sister, Kara and then get in touch with the funeral home."

Turning to Lucas she asked;

"Would you mind taking me by the hospital so that I can get my car?"

Shaking his head, Lucas explained;

"Darlin, your car isn't at the hospital; I had Ben take it to my house last night, so we'll go get it in a bit. As far as the funeral home, I already took care of that for you, we just need to go by there so you can sign the papers and what have you. All that leaves is calling your sister."

Turning to Mrs. Adams, she asked;

"Mrs. Adams, would you please hand me the phone?"

Once she had placed the receiver in her hand, Mrs. Adams offered;

"Dara, I thought that I would try to tidy up a little, if that's alright with you."

Nodding, Dara offered her gratitude;

"Thank you so much; with everything going on I can definitely use the help."

After Mrs. Adams had left the room Dara took a deep steadying breath. Lucas, noticing the action, placed his hand over hers as he offered;

"Would you like me to call her?"

Shaking her head, she explained;

"No, I need to talk to Kara, we've always been closer with each other than with the others. Anyway, I should have called her last night, I have no idea how I'm going to explain not calling her sooner."

Shrugging, Lucas suggested;

"Just explain it to her when she gets here; by the way, what about your father?"

Biting at her bottom lip, she sighed as she shrugged;

"I really don't know, it depends on a lot of things; how his health is and some other areas. He and Seth don't really get along and he can't afford to get upset with his heart in the shape it's in. We'll have to wait and see."

Realizing one of the reasons why he was wearing a look of uncertainty, Dara squeezed his hand as she ventured;

"We'll talk about the wedding later; okay? I don't want a large one, so it should be easy to plan. I just want to get past this right now; okay? By the way, when are you planning on telling Caleb?"

Stroking his chin, he confessed;

"I was just thinking about that earlier, actually; I guess today."

Glancing to the handset in her hand, Dara realized that she had put off what she knew she had to do for long enough as she began dialing the familiar number. Waiting a few seconds she began;

"Hello; Jack? Hi, it's Dara, is Kara there; could I speak with her please? Thanks. Hi, sis, it's Dara; look there's something that I need to tell you."

Lucas listened as she conversed with her sister; he could see by the flash of agitation that rose to her eyes that her sister must have dredged up a topic that she was not going to change her opinion about. Any curiosity he had regarding what the subject could possibly be was quickly sated as she stated emphatically;

"I don't see why Daddy can't come, there's more than enough room for all of you and I don't see the problem since Seth WILL NOT be staying in this house. No, I just have no intentions of dealing with him anymore than necessary."

Glancing to Lucas, Dara's tone softened as she advised her sister;

"By the way, we need to discuss something when you get here; no, I just don't want to talk about it right now. Okay, I love you too; kiss the kids and tell Daddy that I love him, bye."

Disconnecting the call she sat the handset on the counter top as she held her head in her hands, relieved to have finished her conversation. Looking up at Lucas as Mrs. Adams entered, Dara explained;

"Kara said that she would call everyone else. She said that she doesn't know whether or not Daddy will come."

Sighing heavily she advised;

"I need a shower and I need to get Mama's dress."

Casting a glance at Lucas she offered;

"Lucas, do you want to take a shower too? There's another bathroom upstairs and the hot water heater is more than large enough to handle two showers going at a time."

Taking his silent nod as agreement, she left the kitchen and made her way to, what had been, her mother's room. Opening the door, she stood for a moment as she felt herself assailed with the memories scattered about the room in the photos that stared back at her from their frames. Crossing the space to the closet she began searching until she found the dress that her mother had expressly requested she be laid to rest in. Dara couldn't help but flash on a memory as the scent of her mother's perfume hung in the air; she was about six years old, climbing on her mother's lap as she hugged her and stated;

"Mommy, you always smell good."

Locating the dress she had been searching for, she pulled it from the closet, but not before her eyes fell on the dress she remembered her mother wearing when she had graduated from high school, as well as college and the dress that she had worn to her sister's wedding. Without realizing it, Dara had begun crying silently as she recalled what Lucas had told her the night before;

"Cry for yourself but not for her, she's at peace now; love her enough to let her go."

Gently, she pushed the closet door closed before settling herself in the armchair near the window to let the tears slide down her cheeks as she vowed;

"Oh, Mama, I miss you and I'll always love you, but I know that you're better off now."

Having been passing by the door, Lucas couldn't help but hear her quite statement; pushing the door open softly he entered to cross the space to the chair before lowering himself to sit on his heels to put him eyes level with her. He could see the tears bright in her eyes as she looked at him forlornly;

"She really is gone, isn't she?"

Placing his hand on her cheek, Lucas nodded;

"Yes, baby, she is; I'm sorry, but she is much better off without the pain and agony."

Standing, Lucas pulled her from the chair into his embrace, letting her release her tears. Once she had quieted, he wiped her eyes as he asked;

"Are you ready to get started today?"

Nodding, she replied;

"Just let me grab my shower, okay?"

Taking the dress from her, he motioned towards her bedroom as he offered;

"You go ahead, darlin. I'll lie this on the sofa for you and head upstairs to grab a shower too."

Half an hour later found her entering the living room where Lucas sat, patiently, waiting for her. When she entered the living room, he couldn't help but shake his head at her appearance as she had chosen to forego makeup as well as leaving her hair to simply hang down her back, not having felt up to dealing with the long, curling mass which was still slightly damp. Rising as she approached the sofa, he smiled as he pushed a stray curl behind her shoulder;

"You remind me of a little girl with your hair that way; it makes me feel like I'm robbing the cradle."

Casting him a wry look, Dara chuckled;

"Thank you; I'll take that as a compliment."

Stepping closer to him she wrapped her arms around his waist as she shook her head;

"And as far as you're robbing the cradle, darling; we've already discussed that, remember? Besides, do you think that fourteen years is really THAT big of deal when it comes to the difference in our ages?"

Lucas considered her statement for a moment; he could remember the conversation they had shortly after they began seeing each other regarding their ages. He knew that the issue would have to be addressed sooner or later and, at the time, he knew that with Dara's birthday approaching it would be sooner, especially given her mother's insistence that they celebrate the day. Looking back, he realized just how exhausting the day must have been for Gwenna, but he still found himself amused by her determination to celebrate, what she considered, her daughter's day.

He couldn't help but remember how she had enlisted his help in keeping Dara distracted as she planned on surprising the girl. Given her mother's determination to surprise her daughter, Lucas had taken Dara out for the day; given that it was the weekend his proposed outing wasn't suspicious to her, especially given that he had made it a point to spend his off days with her as often as possible. Returning to her house, under the pretense of giving her a chance to freshen up before he took her out to dinner, he led her inside where her mother and Mrs. Adams were waiting to surprise her.

He could still remember the shocked look of pleasure on her face as they entered the dining room to find the table laden with her favorite meal, having been prepared by her mother with Mrs. Adams' help. Lucas couldn't help but find amazement by her excitement and pleasure over something as simply as her mother being willing to cook her favorite meal, as well as baking her favorite cake, red velvet, for her birthday. Although he found himself enjoying the small get together, due to Dara's enjoyment, he had felt a moment of fear as Mrs. Adam's brought her cake in and began lighting the candles.

After she had blown out the candles and began cutting the cake he could see that there was something on her mind by the inquisitive look in her eyes. Lucas wasn't shocked when she tuned to him and asked;

"I know that this seems pretty silly, but it just occurred to me, I don't even know your age."

Casting a quick glance to Gwenna, who simply offered a slight nod for him to proceed, Lucas cleared his throat;

"I'll be forty years old in January, darlin."

He could see that she was pondering his admission, but what he couldn't see was what turn her thoughts were taking. Finally, worried over her silence, Lucas demanded;

"Does that bother you?"

Tilting her head to the side in consideration, he realized that he had been holding his breath as he released it when she finally shook her head to offer;

"No, not really."

He found himself even more shocked as she reached across the space to place her hand on his cheek, regardless of her mother and Mrs. Adams' presence, to venture;

"Besides, the only difference between now and before is just the knowledge that there is fourteen year's difference in our ages. I know that it doesn't change how I feel about you, how about for you?"

Shaking his head vehemently, Lucas vowed;

"It doesn't change how and what I feel for you one little bit, sweetheart."

Lucas found himself brought back to the present as she asked, the look of apprehension evident on her face;

"Are you sure that you want to go with me? I don't even want to go, but I have no choice, you do."

Seeing the look of sadness on her face at the prospect of what was facing her, Lucas cupped her face in his hands as he promised;

"It's going to be okay, I'm right here with you and I'm not going anywhere; I promise you that."

Covering his hand with her own, she offered her gratitude as she voiced softly;

"Thank you."

Nodding as he placed his arm around her shoulder he led her to the car to begin their day.

Jed Simms was an extremely efficient man, however, when Ben Healy had paid him a visit to make inquiries into arrangements for Gwenna Chambers and he had learned from Ben that the woman's daughter had a close connection to Lucas Buck, he had spent his morning sorting and resorting through all of the documents that would require her attention. He had a successful business and decent working relationship with the sheriff of Trinity, something that he was determined to maintain and, if the rumors that he had heard were true, that meant not offending this lady. As it was, he found himself hard pressed not to stare at her, having admitted to himself that he found her extremely beautiful, but, if the rumors of just how jealous and protective of her Lucas seemed to be were true then running the risk of the man's wrath wasn't a gamble that he was willing to take.

More than aware of his reputation and influence, Lucas wasn't surprised when he escorted Dara into Jed's office to find that the man had the necessary documents filled out and only requiring Dara's signature. Once she had finished placing her signature on the last document, Jed inquired;

"Ms. Chambers, is there anything in particular that you would like done?"

Puzzlement furrowing her brow, Dara turned to Lucas who, interpreting the look explained;

"Darlin, Jed's just wondering if you want them to fix her hair a certain way or anything like that."

Embarrassed for not having understood the question for herself, Dara blushed as she reached into her purse and withdrew her wallet to remove a photo from it before handing it to the man. Glancing at the picture, Lucas could see that it was a photo of Dara and her mother and, what he assumed to be, her sisters as she handed the photo to Jed;

"I'd like you to try and make her look as close as possible to how she looked in this photo please; it was taken before we learned that she had cancer. And please; I'd like the photo back when you're finished."

Studying the photo, Jed nodded;

"I can see where you got your beauty from; your mother was a very beautiful woman as are you and your sisters."

Jed had been so preoccupied with the photo and the lady herself that he had almost forgotten to go over the financial arrangements until, assuming that their business was concluded, Dara rose to leave as Lucas opened the door for her. Remembering that detail, he stood to address her;

"Ms. Chambers, just a moment please, we need to discuss the payment arrangements."

Raising his hand to stall the man just as Dara turned to face him, Lucas explained;

"Jed, we'll discuss them later; Ms. Chambers and I have a lot that we need to accomplish today."

After having sent Dara ahead and making certain that she was out of earshot, Lucas turned to the man;

"Jed, whatever goes past the insurance, I'll pay for it myself. Don't bother her with it; and if there were any corners cut when her mother made the arrangements I want you to make sure that you don't cut them now, understand?"

Realizing just how right the rumors regarding Lucas and this woman were, he nodded;

"No problem, Lucas; I'll make sure that she has a nice service."

Watching as Lucas hurried to catch up with her, Jed understood just how right Ben was; this woman was definitely something special, at least as far as Lucas Buck was concerned;

Matt was in the process of signing off on one of his patient's charts when he noticed Dara and Lucas coming up the hallway in his direction. Finishing with his task he approached her and gave her an encouraging hug, his voice mirroring his concern as he asked;

"How are you feeling, hun; any better today?"

Nodding, Dara offered a look of chagrin as she asked in embarrassment;

"I'm sorry, I guess that I went over the edge, didn't I?"

Shaking his head, Matt lightly admonished;

"You were entitled, you've been through a lot so don't even worry about it; okay?"

Motioning for them to follow him to his office Matt took his chair as he reached for a folder in his file basket to offer apologetically;

"I really don't like this part of the job, but I have to do this; first, are you going to want an autopsy?"

Having already known her feelings given her mother's extended illness; Matt wasn't shocked when she shook her head vehemently. Nodding his understanding he offered;

"I didn't really think that you would but I still have to ask. Okay, I already know your answer on organ donation so I'm not even going to ask. So, all that I need is for you to just sign these; oh, the administration said that you can take a hiatus if you'd like so that you can get adjusted."

Scribbling her name across the bottom of the papers, Dara turned to Lucas;

"I need to get the clothes that I have in my office; okay?"

About to rise from his chair, Lucas turned in shock as Matt advised;

"Why don't you go on ahead, I need to speak to Sheriff Buck for a second so you just take your time."

Lucas waited until she pulled the door closed before turning to Matt and glaring at the man challengingly;

"Alright, Harvard, what is it this time?"

Meeting the man's glare with one of his own, Matt warned in a low and dangerous tone;

"Don't think that I don't know what's going on here, Buck. The only thing that I'm wondering is how soon that it's going to be before she goes the way of all the other women you've had in your life; especially Gail."

A look of thunder crossing his face, Lucas seethed;

"You have absolutely no business wondering a damn thing, Harvard."

Although Lucas was infuriated by Matt's inquires, he realized that the man was truly concerned for Dara, knowing that they had become friends. Taking a deep, steadying breath, he offered;

"If it will make you happy, I have no intention of her going the way of any other woman; as a matter of act she's going to be going a totally different way. We're getting married and not for the sake of a child, like I know you're thinking; I'm marrying her because I love her. Now, are you satisfied?"

Finding himself ashamed of his accusations, Matt offered a look of contrition as he nodded;

"Look, I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds and I would be lying if I said that I haven't noticed how much you love her; the only way I could miss it is if I was blind. But please understand, she's very vulnerable right now and my experience with you isn't exactly the greatest you know."

Before Lucas could reply, Dara gently pushed the door open and looked at both men cautiously, fearful of a repeat of their last 'closed door' meeting. Turning from Matt to Lucas she sighed in relief that she had not interrupted such a reenactment as she asked Lucas;

"Are you ready?"

Nodding as he rose, he shocked both Dara and Matt as he extended his hand to the other man and voiced;

"Thank you, Harvard, for everything that you've done for Dara and Gwenna."

With that he followed Dara to the car.

Lucas sat behind the steering wheel, mulling over Matt's statement before turning to Dara;

"Sweetheart, are you sure that you feel up to getting the license today? I mean you've been through a lot in the last couple of days and I don't want to rush you about this; when you say 'I do' I don't want you to have any doubts or feel as if you didn't have time to really think about it."

Dara couldn't help but stare at him in disbelief as she demanded;

"Okay, so who are you and what did you do with Lucas Buck?"

Shrugging he ventured;

"Darlin, if I had my way I would marry you right this minute, but I'm thinking of everything that you've been through and I don't want to take advantage of that; not about this."

Shaking her head as she chuckled, Dara placed her hand over the one he had laying on the seat between them as she offered;

"Lucas, love, you are not taking advantage of me; I WANT to marry you. Now, that being the case and, quite frankly, this being the truly only bright spot of the day I have absolutely no problems with getting our marriage license. However, if YOU'RE having second thoughts then that's another matter so I'll leave the decision in your hands."

Offering an amused laugh as he wrapped his fingers around hers and brought her hand up to place a gentle kiss on her palm, he turned the key and brought the car to life as he vowed;

"No second thoughts, like I said, if I had my way I would marry you right this minute so let's go get our marriage license."

Fifteen minutes later, Lucas was ushering Dara up the front steps of the Fulton County Courthouse towards the Licensing Office. Noticing him as he held the door open, Doug Allen threw his hand up at Lucas as he greeted;

"Hi, Sheriff, how's it going today?"

Then, noticing Dara, he smiled as he greeted;

"Afternoon ma'am, how are you?"

Lucas found himself hard put to hide his amusement at the effect that it had on him when Dara smiled at the older man, especially when Doug became tongue tied as he was trying not to stumble over his words. Finally, recovering, he turned to Lucas;

"What can I do for you today, Lucas?"

Pulling a chair out for Dara before taking his own seat, Lucas explained;

"Doug, we need a marriage license."

His mouth dropping open from shock, Doug demanded;

"You want a what?"

Despite his usual calm and professional demeanor, Doug couldn't help but be shocked by; what he had just heard were the last words that he had EVER thought possible to come out of Lucas Buck's mouth. Quickly, he regained his composure as Lucas explained in a calm voice full of wry amusement;

"I want a marriage license, you know, till death do you part, love, honor, obey; the thing that you and Peggy had to have to get married, remember?"

Although he had regained his composure, Doug couldn't help but turn crimson in embarrassment, then, remembering the rumors that he had heard, he realized that this had to be the young woman that seemed to have everyone's tongues wagging in Trinity where Lucas Buck was concerned. Considering a passing statement that Ben Healy had made he quickly realized that the man had most definitely been right; she must be something special if she was able to get Lucas Buck to the alter without a fight. Falling back on the formality of his post, Doug went to the file cabinet and began pulling documents from the top drawer before retuning to his desk as he advised;

"Okay, first let's get your information young lady; name?"

Calmly Dara responded;

"Dara Cherice Chambers."

Nodding, Doug turned to Lucas with a questioning look; understanding, Lucas ventured;

"You must want my middle name, okay, Lucas David Buck."

Nodding as he filled in the information, Doug motioned to them both;

"Okay, can I see both of your driver's licenses please; I can get the rest of the information I need from there."

Sliding the small plastic coated cards across the desktop, they waited patiently as he completed filling out the document before pushing it across his desk towards them;

"Just sign this, both of you, and then I'll notarize it and all you'll have to do is find someone to perform the ceremony."

Taking the paper, Lucas quickly scribbled his name on the appropriate line before turning it to Dara. Offering the pen to her, he tightened his grip as she tried to grasp it as he demanded;

"Darlin, you're absolutely sure? I don't want you doing this unless you're one hundred percent sure that you want to and are ready to become my wife."

Studying him for a moment, Dara opened her purse and pulled a pen out and poised, as if to sign the document, before lifting her head to lock eyes with him;

"I'm not one hundred percent certain that I want to do this; I'm one thousand percent sure that I want to become your wife."

With that she quickly scribbled her signature on the document as well.

Once Doug had finished the final steps and the license was completed he handed it to Lucas who, carefully, placed it in the inside pocket of his vest before turning to Doug to request;

"Thanks Doug, I won't forget this, but for now how about not mentioning it to anyone else. You see, Ms. Chambers' mother passed away last night and we want to keep this quiet for the moment."

Nodding, Doug agreed;

"Sure thing Lucas, I wouldn't want to steal your thunder anyway so not a word."

After they left the office and had entered the elevator, alone, Lucas took Dara in his arms and placed a deep kiss on her lips before asking;

"You're not having regrets already, are you?"

Shaking her head, she explained;

"No, it's just that I can't help but think about how stressful the next few days are going to be and how on earth we're going to get through them; especially if Seth does decide to show up. It's going to be World War three with him, and I'm afraid that isn't an exaggeration."

Holding her tighter, Lucas ordered;

"You leave your brother to me; I'll take care of him, okay?"

Feeling the strength of his love for her as he held her tighter, Dara looked up at him, her eyes full of love;

"My knight in shining armor."

The bell announcing their floor chimed and found Lucas reluctantly releasing her as the doors slid open. Taking her arm he lead her to the door and found his irritation rising as he spotted Selena Coombs entering the same doors that they were about to exit. Although he had no doubts that Selena would heed his warning where Dara was concerned, he also knew that she wouldn't resist an opportunity to try and bait Dara either and given what she had suffered in the past twenty-four hours he had absolutely no intentions of allowing Selena to add any form of stress to the situation. Bearing this in mind, he positionrf himself between the two women with his arm protectively around Dara's shoulders as Selena approached them. He wasn't surprised by the exaggerated sultry tone in her voice as she drawled;

"Well, if it isn't the Sheriff and this must be the new counselor that everyone has simply been raving about; I'm Selena Coombs."

Although Dara had heard the innuendoes and rumors where Lucas and this woman had been concerned, she also knew that she could not be rude as the woman extended her hand. Accepting it she offered;

"I'm Dara Chambers; it's nice to meet you Ms. Coombs."

One thing that Dara could say was that she had no insecurity or doubts when it came to Lucas' love for her, however, she also couldn't deny that she was feeling somewhat insecure in the presence of this voluptuous woman, especially given her and Lucas' past, but she wasn't going to allow her to see that she was having such and effect on her now. What Dara didn't realize was that Selena seemed to be wrestling with the same feelings at that moment as well, however, her jealousy at seeing Lucas' obvious adoration for Dara and noting the way that he had his arm placed protectively around her shoulders, Selena decided that she was feeling a little dangerous and was in the mood to be reckless as she asked;

"Well, Ms. Chambers, what would you and Sheriff Buck be doing at the courthouse, nothing serious I hope?"

Deciding to stop Selena before she could truly get started, Lucas stated;

"Actually, Ms. Coombs, Ms. Chambers and I are here on a very serious matter; we just finished the paperwork to get married."

Lucas couldn't deny the satisfaction he felt at the look of shock and disbelief that came to Selena's features. Although she knew that he had meant every word of his warning, Selena chose to push the envelope of recklessness further as she ventured;

"Well congratulations, hopefully, you won't be doing anymore 'sightseeing', especially after you get married."

Gasping at the woman in utter disbelief of her tacky statement, Dara couldn't help but think to herself; _'My, but this bitch really does have some nerve.'_ However, before she could offer a response, Lucas encircled her in his arms as he retorted;

"Actually, Ms. Coombs, the 'sights' that I've been used to have gotten very old and tiresome. I'm ready to settle myself down on, not only, much greener pastures but ones that are worth putting down roots on."

Seeing that his comment had hit its mark by Selena's speechlessness, Lucas ushered Dara through the doorway as Selena turned, seething, to glare at them as the door closed;

"Damn, Lucas Buck."

Even though she was seething to a boiling point in her rage, she hadn't missed the look in Lucas' eyes when he had looked at Dara. Ben was right; Lucas wouldn't hesitated to take care of anyone who dared to threaten or harm that woman.

Once they had almost reached the car, Lucas stopped, pulling Dara to a halt as well;

"Darlin, don't let what she said upset you, she's just jealous and she can't stand it. But I meant what I said; you're the only one for the rest of my life."

Oblivious to any onlookers, he kissed her openly before she pulled away a bit to suggest;

"Don't you think that we should find Caleb now?"

Realizing that he still needed to talk to his son about he and Dara, Lucas nodded;

"Yeah, I think you're right, how about we go by my house and I'll drop you off to get your car and then you can go grocery shopping while I talk to Caleb, okay?"

Opening her car door for her and suddenly remembering who else was at his house, Lucas pondered whether it would be prudent to go ahead and introduce Dara to Mama Lucy. Deciding that procrastinating the issue would do nothing but make it worse, he ventured;

"Darlin, I know that it's a lot to deal with at once, but my grandmother is at my house and, if you feel up to it, I'd love for you to go ahead and meet her; would you mind?"

Offering him a sincere smile as she shook her head, Dara rationalized;

"No, honey, besides, I'll have to meet her sooner or later so why not now."

Pushing her door shut he hurried to settle himself behind the wheel as he promised;

"Don't worry; she's going to love you."


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12**

Pulling into his driveway ten minutes later, Lucas motioned towards the front door as he asked;

"Are you ready, darlin?"

Glancing at the large house, she silently nodded as Lucas came around and opened her door for her before leading her up the steps of the porch to the front door. He had just reached his hand out to turn the knob when the portal suddenly swung open as Caleb greeted brightly;

"I thought that I heard someone; Mama Lucy and me have been baking cookies."

Seeing Dara he offered her a smile as he threw his arms around her and offered;

"I sure am sorry about your mama, but I'm glad that you don't look so sick anymore."

Returning the embrace, Dara offered him a tender smile of her own;

"Thank you, Caleb; and I promise that just as soon as things get back to normal that we'll spend some time together."

Deciding that now was as good a time to talk to his son as any, Lucas advised the boy;

"Son, I need to talk to you in a minute, just let me introduce Dara and Mama first though."

Taking her hand, he pulled her through the house as he made his way to the kitchen to find Mama Lucy. Dara couldn't help but realize that there was a definite resemblance between the woman, who appeared to be, in her seventies and Lucas as they found her lifting cookies off of a baking sheet. She could see the obvious affection between grandmother and grandson as he approached her and placed a kiss on her aged cheek before greeting;

"Morning, Mama."

Turning to study her grandson, Lucilla placed her hands on her hips as she admonished;

"Boy, I thought that you would have been here sooner."

Noticing the petite young woman standing behind her grandson, she fussed;

"Well, move so that I can at least see what she looks like."

Shaking his head as he chuckled at the old woman, Lucas took Dara's hand in his and pulled her to stand in front of him as he offered;

"Mama, this is Dara Chambers, the lady that I told you about."

Lucilla looked her up and down as she thought to herself; _'She sure is little, but just as beautiful as can be'._ Casting a glance at her grandson and making certain that Caleb wasn't within hearing distance, she stated;

"Boy, if you let her get away, you're a fool."

Shaking his head, Lucas stated emphatically;

"Not a chance, Mama."

Noticing Caleb's approach, Lucas excused himself;

"Excuse me, ladies, but I need to talk to Caleb a minute."

Approaching Caleb, he walked past him and motioned for the boy to follow him as he led the way to the living room. Deciding to set the girl's expectations of her directness, Lucilla offered;

"Dara, Lucas told me about your mama, I am surely sorry for your loss."

Choking back the tears that were threatening to fall at the mention of her mother, Dara swallowed hard as she spoke softly;

"Thank you, Mrs. Buck."

Smiling at the girl, Lucilla couldn't help but like her; she had good upbringing and it showed all over her. Shaking her head, she suggested;

"No need to call me 'Mrs. Buck'; Mama Lucy or Lucilla is fine, whichever you like better."

Once Dara had nodded her acceptance of the dictate, Lucilla continued as she glanced slyly sideways at her;

"Besides, I have the feeling that, judging by his behavior, my grandson is planning on giving that title to somebody else pretty soon."

She couldn't help but feel slight amusement as she noticed how Dara turned her head away slightly as she blushed. Meanwhile, in the living room, Lucas sat, uncertain as to how to broach the subject he wanted to discuss with his son. Finally, noticing Caleb's looks of curiosity, he bluntly asked;

"Son, how do you like Dara?"

Staring at his father, dumbfounded as if he had just asked the most ridiculous question he could think of, Caleb considered;

"I like her a lot, but not as much as you do I bet."

Lucas couldn't help but chuckle as he held his head down before locking eyes with Caleb;

"What would you say if I told you that I asked her to marry me and that she said 'yes'?"

Studying the changing emotions on Caleb's face, Lucas could see the sincerity on the boy's face as he smiled;

"I'd say, when's the wedding and who gets to be the best man?"

Releasing a long, pent up sigh of relief, Lucas explained;

"Well, you're the best man and just as soon as everything with her mother's funeral is behind her and she's ready then I guess that's when."

His look changing to one of admonishment, Caleb suggested;

"Well don't you think that she needs a ring?"

Unable to help himself from laughing at the boy's concern, Lucas nodded as he ruffled his hair;

"Yeah, we'll take care of that just as soon as possible."

With that he rose and made his way to the kitchen. Standing behind Dara he wrapped his arms around her waist as he advised her;

"He loves the idea."

Turning to his grandmother with Dara still firmly in his arms, Lucas offered;

"By the way, mama, this is your granddaughter in law to be."

Shaking her head as she smiled benevolently at her grandson, Lucilla gave her grandson a strange look as she replied sarcastically;

"Well I knew that. Now, I assume that as soon as everything else is behind you that the two of you will be getting married."

Turning to Caleb as both Dara and Lucas nodded their head in agreement of her observation, Lucilla stated firmly;

"Well, Caleb, it looks like we're finally getting some new blood in the family."

Grinning openly, Caleb nodded;

"Yes, ma'am, we sure are."

Dara couldn't help but feel joy in the moment. However, when she glanced at her watch and noticed the time she realized that she had to hurry if she was going to have everything situated before her family arrived that evening. Extending her hand to Mama Lucy she offered;

"It's been nice meeting you, Mrs…I mean Mama Lucy, and Caleb, you can come over later with your father if you'd like to. I need to go; I have to grocery shop before my family arrives this evening."

Following her to her car, Lucas dug in his hip pocket and dropped the keys in her hand as he vowed;

"See, I told you that they would love you and the fact that we're getting married."

Although she couldn't help but nod her agreement with his statement, she also couldn't overlook another aspect that he seemed to be overlooking.

"Yes, and I'm very glad that they do, but now we have to tell my family. Considering that they are coming in to attend Mama's funeral I don't see the news of our impending marriage going over particularly well."

Once he had pushed the car door closed for her, Lucas leaned against the window as he promised;

"Darlin, don't worry about it; I'll handle it, okay? It's going to be alright, I promise."

Despite her concern over what her family's reaction might be, Dara couldn't help but smile as she turned her face up to receive a departing kiss before wishing;

"I hope that you're right."

Watching as she left, Lucas made his way back inside to the kitchen where his grandmother was waiting for him to demand;

"Boy, did you get that girl a ring yet?"

Shaking his head, he explained;

"No, I thought that I would go and pick it out here in a minute and when I go back tonight that I'd give it to her then."

Nodding her approval, Lucilla ordered;

"Well just see that you do."

Turning to the oven she asked;

"Caleb, are those cookies ready yet?"

Lucas couldn't help but shake his head in amusement at the woman before turning to his son;

"Caleb, do you want to go with me and help me pick out Dara's ring?"

Considering his father's request for a moment Caleb shook his head;

"No, sir; I think you already have a pretty good idea what you want to get for her, so you don't really need me. I'll just stay here with Mama Lucy. But, can I go with you to her mama's wake?"

Lucas couldn't help but be amazed at his son's willingness to volunteer his support for Dara. Nodding his approval, he praised;

"I think that Dara would like for you to be there, it might make her feel better to know that she has all of our support."

With that, he stood to leave and made his way to the door, then, thinking about it, he threw over his shoulder;

"I probably won't be home tonight, Mama, so don't cook for me."

With that he set out to find just the right ring for Dara.

Having finished with her shopping, Dara pulled into her driveway and noticed a car that she didn't recognize. Considering that her sister must have made better time than what she had thought possible, she shrugged as she rationalized aloud;

"Kara must have gotten a new car."

With that she began carrying the bags of groceries into the house; she had just finished retrieving the last bag when she heard the sound of someone moving around upstairs and, assuming that it was a member of her family, she called;

"I'm in the kitchen; how about someone helping me with the groceries please."

At that moment, the phone began ringing, grabbing it quickly, her face immediately reflected her shock as she heard the voice at the other end of the line;

"Hello? Kara! Where are you; what do you mean you haven't left yet? Well if you're there then just who is upstairs? No, I don't know, I thought that it was you, no, let me call you back. I promise, I'll be careful, I promise."

Placing the receiver back on the hook, Dara wondered quietly;

"Just who is upstairs?"

Glancing around the room her eyes fell on a crow bar that had been left leaning against the back door, taking it in her hands she quietly made her way through the rest of the house towards the staircase, careful to be as quiet as possible.

Ben was going over a batch of reports, since it was his turn to man the desk, when the phone began ringing. Grabbing the receiver he greeted;

"Fulton County Sheriff's Office, how can I help you?"

Listening to the female at the other end he realized that this was no ordinary call as he responded;

"Oh, yes, Mrs. Tanner, I know that address, it's where Dara Chambers lives. Oh, you're her sister; what do you mean that there's someone in the house with her? How do you know that? She thought that it was you until you called to let her know when you would be arriving; what do you mean that she said she was going to check it out? No, hold on."

Hitting the hold button, Ben snatched the mic from the CB;

"Lucas, are you out there?"

Ben felt reserved relief when he heard a break of static;

"I'm right here, Ben; what do you need?"

Unable to restrain the worry in his voice, Ben advised;

"How far are you from Dara's house, right now?"

He could hear the perplexity in Lucas' voice as he responded;

"I'm almost there, why."

Hurriedly, Ben explained;

"Proceed with caution, her sister is on the phone and, apparently, there's someone in the house with her. She thought that it was her sister until she called to let her know when to expect her, she's apparently handling it herself."

Ben wasn't shocked when Lucas issued;

"Ben, if you don't hear from me in the next five to ten minutes then get a car here; do you understand?"

Glancing at the wall clock to mark the time, Ben confirmed;

"Yeah, Lucas, I got you, out."

With that he picked up the receiver and hit the hold button as he explained;

"Mrs. Tanner, yes it's okay, the sheriff is on his way to your sister's house to check it out now. I'm sure that everything will be just fine; yes, I will, you too."

Disconnecting the call, Ben silently prayed that he hadn't made Dara's sister an empty promise.

Throwing the CB mic to the floor, Lucas swore aloud, his worry and fear spurring his temper on;

"Damned, that woman is the most stubborn, willful person that I've ever seen."

Pulling his car to a stop further up the driveway to maintain the element of surprise, Lucas cautiously made his way onto the porch, deciding to use the kitchen door to enter the house rather than the front door. Opening it softly, he made his way quietly into the house; searching for Dara he sucked in his breath sharply as he thought to himself; _'has she lost her mind?'_ Dara was on the staircase, a crowbar in her hand. Quickly, he made his way up the staircase and had just reached her when the door at the top of the stairs was thrown open.

Finding herself surprised by, not only, Lucas taking the crowbar from her grip but the person standing at the top of the staircase, Dara almost lost her balance and would have fallen backwards. However, realizing that she was about to fall, Lucas threw the crowbar down and caught her to prevent her fall. Glancing from the man holding her to the man at the top of the staircase, she screamed before she swore;

"Damned why don't the two of you just give me a heart attack next time."

With that she turned abruptly and stalked back down the stairs to make her way to the kitchen. Picking up the crowbar, Lucas followed in her wake to enter the kitchen;

"Dara, baby, I'm sorry. I got a call from Ben; apparently your sister called, concerned about you. I didn't mean to scare you honey."

Turning to face him, she released a sigh of frustration as she shook her head before apologizing;

"It's alright, sweetheart, I'm not angry with you."

Turning to face the man now lounging against the doorframe who was smiling insolently, Lucas could see the fire flashing in her eyes as she demanded;

"You, on the other hand, yes I do mind. Would you care to tell me, brother dear, exactly how you got into my house?"

Realizing that this was her brother, Seth, Lucas studied the man closely; although he wasn't tall, he couldn't exactly be considered short either. He was heavy set and rugged looking; Lucas could see some slight similarity between Dara and this man, but not much. After having assessed the man, Lucas ventured;

"Yeah, I'd like to know that one myself."

Casting a glance at the man, Seth Chambers demanded in an arrogant tone;

"Just who the hell are you, mister; and what business is it of yours' if I got into MY mother's house?"

Before Lucas could reply, Dara interjected;

"He, unlike you, is someone who is welcome here and has a hell of a lot more right then what you do to enter MY house."

Turning to his sister, Seth's eyes held nothing but contempt as he offered a thinly veiled threat;

"Well, we'll just see, after everything with the will, just whose house this is, baby sister. Speaking of which, when do we bury the old girl?"

Gasping in shock at his statement Dara couldn't help but stare at him in a look that could only be described as a cross between disgust, anger and shock;

"For God's sake, Seth! She was our mother, how about a little grief or sorrow or anything for that matter that shows you thought of her as something more than an ATM when the mood struck you. And as far as the will goes, feel free; the house is solely in my name as is the insurance. So by all means, sue to your heart's content, I'm sure that when I show proof of all the debts that I've paid that you'll end up owing me."

Dara's eyes widened in fright as she saw the anger and hatred raging in her brother's eyes as he closed the space between them and raised his hand as he threatened venomously;

"You little bitch; I'll make you regret the day that you were born."

Closing her eyes and mentally preparing herself for the blow, Dara opened her eyes when it never came to find Lucas holding her brother's fist in a grip of iron. Lucas had stood silent, fuming with rage at the audacity that this man possessed. Who did he think he was to threaten her like that? Seeing Seth's intentions, Lucas had quickly closed the distance between them to place himself between Dara and her brother to catch his fist before he could strike her. His own eyes reflecting his hatred and disgust with the man, Lucas stated in a dangerous voice;

"Now, let ME tell YOU something; if you ever so much as think about laying another hand on MY wife to be, I'm gong to make you regret the day that both she and I were born. Now, do WE understand each other?"

The fear evident in his eyes, Seth nodded his agreement; he quickly realized that this man meant serious business where his sister was concerned. He had no doubts that he would follow through with his promise of retribution if he dared to mistreat Dara any further. Seeing that he had imparted just how serious the man needed to take his promise, Lucas released the other man's hand as he turned to Dara;

"Is he staying here?"

Shaking her head before turning to address her brother, she stated;

"You can stay in town, but you're not staying here. I don't want you in this house, other than for Mama's funeral; I'm sorry but I'm not changing my mind."

Deciding to try and play his behavior off, Seth tried appealing to his sister's strong sense of family;

"Dara, look I'm really sorry. It's just that I'm upset with Mom's passing and everything else. We need to pull together and be a family now."

Placing what appeared to be a look of sorrow on his face, he offered a sad smile to his sister. Standing next to Dara, Lucas was hoping that she wouldn't let her brother's words influence her good judgment. He didn't realize that he had been holding his breath until he sighed in relief when she turned to face her brother:

"You're absolutely right, Seth, we are family. It's just really too bad that you didn't choose to remember that when Mama was so sick; you know, after you conned her out of her life savings? Then, you have the audacity to show up here, break into my house, tell me how you're here to grab your share and then, to top it off, you try and slap me around. Now, you want me to just say; 'oh, it's okay', and turn my back to you so that you can stick another knife in?"

Shaking her head vehemently, she vowed;

"I don't think so; oh, and let me inform you, the will leaves everything and I do mean EVERYTHING at my discretion. And let me assure you, that by the time I pay the hospital, in home care, doctors and funeral expenses; we'll be lucky if they don't take our Social Security to help pay for it all."

Watching as her brother began turning crimson at her words, Lucas moved closer to Dara, just in case the man didn't take his earlier warning as seriously as if his life depended on it, which it most certainly did. Seething the man ground out;

"Well don't you must have it all taken care of, Little Sister? I'm willing to bet that you socked away a tidy sum for yourself; didn't you?"

The fire of controlled anger glaring in her eyes, Dara reached over and opened a drawer to pull out a ledger before tossing it on the center isle as she ordered;

"Open it! That's every bill that I paid that was in Mama's name that YOU ran up; all of the credit cards, finance companies, all of the scams and cons that you pulled on your own mother. I paid for every one of them and let me assure you that I have no intention of paying for one more thing for you. Now, get whatever you have in my house and get out, and believe me I know this house backwards and forwards so I suggest that whatever you've helped yourself to that you leave it on the bed. Do you understand me?"

Glaring daggers at his sister, Seth stated simply;

"Fine."

He turned towards the door when Dara halted his progress;

"And Seth,"

When he turned to face her, Dara offered;

"before you get it in your head that the only reason I've said any of this is because of Lucas' presence, let me assure you, my mind was made up from the moment Mama got sick and we decided to move to get away from you, that I was NEVER going to put up with either your schemes or your abuse again. But I can assure you of this; either way, you would have met Lucas because, THIS time, I would have had you arrested and most definitely pressed charges and since he's the sheriff here, you would have made his acquaintance."

With that she motioned to the door just before turning her back to him as she ordered;

"Now get out."

Storming through the doorway, Seth made his way upstairs as he realized that his sister had found a backbone, never considering the idea that the only reason she had dealt with his abuse before was to keep peace in their family. He knew that there wouldn't be any taking whatever savings that she had managed to accumulate and that she wasn't about to budge an inch in her determination. Add to his knowledge of his sister's determination once her mind was set, the fact that she was about to marry, what he considered to be, a very dangerous man, and Seth knew that any thoughts of physical or mental intimidation were out of the question.

Having excused himself to call Ben and let him know that everything was fine, Lucas made his way up the staircase to the bedroom that Seth had assumed would be his. Opening the door and venturing into the room, he glared at the other man;

"I want to talk to you."

Holding his hands up in a surrendering gesture, Seth stated;

"Don't worry, I'm leaving. I'll stay in town until the funeral and then I'll go, so we have no room for any discussion here."

Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he turned to the open door, which swung shut and locked on its own accord. Lucas wasn't shocked when he saw a wild look of panic in Seth's eyes as he turned to stare at him in fright. He had to shake his head in silent amusement as the man stated in disbelief;

"I didn't just see that."

Motioning to the bag slung over the man's shoulder, Lucas sent it flying across the room as he issued;

"Why don't you set your bag down?"

Turning to the man, Lucas stated;

"Now let me explain something to you; your sister and I are getting married. I never intended to marry anyone, but when I met Dara, well I have to say that I fell head over heels in love with her. Needless to say, I don't particularly care to see her hurt or upset, not to mention abused in any way. Now, do we understand each other?"

Seth, his eyes wide with fright, quickly nodded his head as Lucas ventured;

"Good and you know I really think that once Gwenna's funeral is behind all of us that there just isn't any need for you to ever return to Trinity; don't you agree?"

Crossing to where the other man's bag had landed, Lucas grabbed the bag and approached Seth as he handed the bag to him just before opening the door. Placing his hand on the man's shoulder, Lucas offered;

"I'm glad that we had this conversation, now we TOTALLY understand each other. By the way, I'm sure that the boarding house in town has a room available."

Lucas couldn't help but smile as he watched Seth run down the staircase and out the front door just as Dara entered the living room. Seeing her brother bolting from the house in such a manner, she turned to Lucas, shock evident on her face as she demanded;

"What did you say to him to make him leave in such a hurry?"

Descending the steps, Lucas approached her before taking her in his arms and shaking his head;

"I told him that I take great exception to anyone mistreating you, in any way. I think that he got the hint."

Laying her head against his chest as she burrowed closer, Dara looked into his eyes;

"Thank you, at least I know that he won't cause a scene now, not to mention I won't have to make a trip to the emergency room this time."

Although the last of her statement had been said in a joking manner, Lucas couldn't help but sense the relief from the fear that she felt. Holding her closer, he vowed;

"You will never have to worry about anyone ever hurting you again; EVER, they'll have to go through me first."

Taking her hand, he led her to the sofa and, gently, pushed her to sit on the end of it as he chastised himself;

"I should have done this sooner, and I'm sorry that I haven't, darlin."

With that he bent down on one knee, noting the tenderness in Dara's eyes as he reached into his pocket to produce a small velvet box. As he flipped the lid open, Dara couldn't help but gasp at, what she considered, was the most beautiful ring that she had ever seen. There was a large, marquis shaped diamond in the center which was surrounded at the base by smaller stones, reminding Dara of a bright star. Taking her left hand in his, Lucas slid the ring onto her finger, which fit perfectly as he vowed;

"Dara, you know that I love you and I want you beside me for the rest of my life and for eternity. I asked you before, but I'm asking you again, will you marry me?"

Looking down at the ring, as if studying it for a moment, Dara brought her eyes up to meet Lucas', the tears glistening in them as she cupped his face before offering a tender smile before nodding;

"I love you, more than I ever thought it possible to love anybody; yes, I will marry you."

Lucas couldn't resist taking her in his arms to kiss her; it was a kiss that held neither demand of passion, but simply conveyed how deeply he loved her. Both were so involved in their contact with each other that they failed to notice Mrs. Adams until they heard her clear her throat from the doorway, announcing her presence. Overlooking their slight embarrassment as they mumbled their hellos, she took in the scene and smiled as she ordered;

"Well, let me see it; there's only one reason that I know of for a man to be on bended knee."

Rising from the sofa, Dara extended her hand as she approached the woman. Taking the girl's hand in her own to inspect the ring that now graced her finger, Mrs. Adams nodded her approval as she speculated;

"I take it then that you've settled on a date?"

Lucas rose to stand behind Dara and wrap his arms around her waist as he shook his head;

"No, Mrs. A, but we did get our marriage license so at least we're heading in the right direction."

Unable to stop the smile that came to her face at the sight of love that the pair made, Mrs. Adams hoped, with all of her heart, that Dara was making the right decision and would find happiness with the man now holding her. Following Dara to the kitchen, she asked;

"Have any of your family arrived yet, dear?"

Turning to cast a strange look at the woman, Dara asked, shocked;

"You mean that you didn't let Seth in, Mrs. Adams?"

Although Dara didn't think that Mrs. Adams would have done such a thing, any doubts that she had to the contrary were quickly squelched by the horrified look as she shook her head vehemently;

"Goodness no! Why has he already arrived?"

Sighing with the frustration of her brother's actions, Dara relayed the earlier events that had transpired with her brother. When she had finished her description, Mrs. Adams considered a moment as she shook her head in apology;

"Well I supposed that it could be possible that I forgot to lock one of the back doors before I left; I'm very sorry, Dara."

Placing her hand on the woman's arm in a comforting gesture, Dara sighed in resignation;

"It's all right, Mrs. Adams, whether or not you locked the doors, if he wanted to get in bad enough, he was going to make sure that he did. So please, don't worry over it, it's finished with. Now, all that we have to worry about it is getting through Mama's funeral without there being a family brawl."

Sensing her agitation at the prospect of the situation, Lucas pulled her to him as she promised;

"Sweetheart, don't worry about it; I'll be there every step of the way and I'm sure that no one would start a brawl with the sheriff there."

Turning to the elder, Lucas asked;

"Do you, Mrs. Adams?"

Realizing that he did truly have a good side when he chose to show it, Mrs. Adams couldn't help but like this aspect of his personality, she only hoped that, for Dara's sake, he would continue showing that side. Tilting her head up to offer a smile of amusement, Dara offered;

"Well that's something that I hadn't considered, one of the advantages of marrying you I guess, huh?"

Placing a kiss on her forehead as he grinned openly at her humor;

"Oh I'm sure that you'll find many more advantages than that before much longer, darlin."

Clearing her throat discreetly to remind them of her presence, Mrs. Adams asked gently;

"Dara, dear, when is the funeral?"

Dara couldn't help but sigh heavily; she had almost succeeded and forgetting that she still had to get through one of the hardest things that she would ever have to face, but she couldn't help but feel infinitely grateful that she would have Lucas and his love to lean on. Turning to the woman, she explained;

"The wake is going to be tomorrow night and the funeral with be held the morning after at eleven a.m., Kara called earlier, they had to wait for Mara so they had a bit of a late start, but they, plus their children and Daddy should be arriving this evening. After that, we can start putting our lives back in order again, or so I hope."

Nodding her understanding of the girl's statement, Mrs. Adams offered;

"Well, I need to go, but if there's anything else that you can think of you call me. Otherwise, I'll see you at the wake tomorrow night."

Waiting until she let herself out the front door Lucas glanced about the room as he considered;

"Is there anything else that we need to do before everyone gets here?"

Biting at her bottom lip in consideration of his question, she glanced around before shrugging;

"Well, I thought that I would cook a big supper, I know that they'll be hungry when they arrive. Otherwise, I think that everything is done."

Lucas had been trying to find a tactful way to propose what he had been contemplating and to that end he asked;

"I have to ask you, where are you going to put everyone?"

Pondering the equation of the number of bedrooms as opposed to the number of people, Dara ventured;

"Well, my sisters can take one of the rooms upstairs; Mara only has one child so I thought that my nephews could take the other bedroom upstairs. I can put Daddy in my bedroom and my niece and I can sleep on the sofa bed. Why do you ask?"

Carefully, Lucas offered;

"You know that there's plenty of room at my house, if you need it."

Shaking her head, Dara offered him an apologetic look as she explained;

"I appreciate the offer, darling, but trust me, I don't think that they would do very well staying in a relatively complete stranger's house; especially the kids."

Gazing deep into her eyes as he placed his hand on her shoulder, he ventured;

"Well, you're not a stranger and it's going to be your house too. You could stay and let them have the run of this house."

Dragging her gaze away she shook her head as she reasoned;

"Lucas, I appreciate that you want me to be comfortable, but you know that I can't just leave them at a time like this. Surely you can understand that."

Rising abruptly from his chair as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration, Lucas offered harshly;

"No, damned; what I understand is that I don't want to leave your side for even a second. Is THAT so difficult for you to understand?"

Shocked by his outburst, Dara's face reflected her surprise before the realization behind his frustration dawned on her as she reached out to grasp his hand before offering apologetically;

"Darling, I'm sorry, but please understand something; I'm not really used to anyone being concerned about my comfort. I guess that I've been the one being worried about everyone else's comfort for so long that I've just stopped caring about my own."

Pulling her from the chair, Lucas pulled her close to him as he brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek before shaking his head;

"Well, love, I have news for you; I'm going to spend the rest of my life making certain that you're always comfortable, happy, and safe and most of all loved."

Clearing her throat in an attempt to stave off the tears that were threatening to fall at his declaration, Dara placed her hands on his shirt front as she looked down to blink the tears away before bringing her eyes up to meet his as she theorized;

"You know that, if you treat me that way, you're going to spoil me, don't you?"

Nodding eagerly, Lucas brushed a stray tear from her cheek before placing a gentle kiss on her forehead as he confirmed;

"That's my plan, darlin."

A thought occurring to her, she patted his chest a moment as she suggested;

"I'll tell you what, come with me for a second, please."

Crossing the kitchen to a door at the back of the room, she flipped a switch before opening the portal and descending a set of stairs. Once they reached the bottom she flipped another switch and moved to a covered object against the back wall as she requested;

"Please help me get this upstairs."

Half and hour later after they had brought, what turned out to be, a set of mattresses, bed frame and headboard and footboard that Lucas guessed must have been a family heirloom up from the cellar to be set up in Gwenna's room, he turned to Dara to inquire;

"Not that I minded helping, but, sweetheart, why did we do this?"

Offering a small, sad smile, Dara turned to him, a look of nostalgia shining in her eyes as she explained;

"This is the bed that belongs in this room; I had it put in the cellar when Mama needed a hospital bed and since the hospital bed isn't here any longer I'm putting this one back where it's supposed to be. Would you mind helping me make it up?"

Fifteen minutes later, once the bed had been reassembled as well as made with fresh linens, he noticed how Dara stood, hugging one of the large posts as her face took on a far away look as she touched the bed reverently. Placing his arm around her shoulders, he asked softly;

"What is it, more memories?"

Sighing as she allowed her memories to flood her, she nodded;

"Yes, I was just remembering all of the nights that I would beg to crawl into the bed with Mama after having a nightmare and waking up afraid."

Lucas couldn't help but cast a look of shock at her at the confession as she continued;

"I remember spending many a stormy night in this bed next to Mama, when Daddy was working nights."

Thinking of her as a little girl, Lucas found himself smiling gently as he asked;

"Are you afraid of the thunder or the lightening?"

A look of wistfulness came to her face as she chuckled slightly as she admitted;

"I was afraid of the thunder, but I loved the sound of the rain, I still do. But the thunder, that was different. I remember hearing the wind howling and the thunder crashing and I would jump out of my bed and run into Mama's room and beg her to let me sleep with her. She never fussed at me for being silly either; she would just scoot over and then tuck me in and tell me how thunder was just how God shook the ground so that the rain could seep in deeper and keep everything growing; that if wouldn't hurt me."

Lucas couldn't help but remember how Gwenna had demanded to know his intentions regarding her daughter or how straightforward she was in voicing her opinion of those intentions, even when she was at the brink of death. Turning to Dara he pushed her hair over her shoulder as he expressed his opinion of her mother's character;

"Your mother was a very special lady; something that it seems she passed on to, at least, one of her daughters."

Sighing as she nodded her agreement, Dara ventured;

"I just hope that our children can feel the same about me when it's my time, as I do about my mother."

Wrapping his arms around her, Lucas kissed the top of her head as he laid his cheek against it before offering;

"I promise, darlin, they will."

Turning her to face him he reminded her;

"You never did answer my question, why did we bring the bed up here now?"

Placing a kiss on his cheek as she turned to leave the room, she turned to look over her shoulder as she offered him a coy smile;

"Why I would have thought that would have been obvious, so that you'll have a place to sleep. Just because I can't stay with you at your house right now, doesn't mean that you can't stay with me here; even if there will be others here as well."

Shaking his head at her playfulness, he couldn't help but chuckle;

"I should have known. Are you sure, what will your family say?"

Biting at her bottom lip in momentary indecision, Dara shrugged her shoulders as she offered;

"Quite frankly I don't particularly care what they say. Besides, this is my house after all."


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER 13**

Lucas was passing through the entry hallway when he noticed Ben's car from the window. Opening the door, he found both Ben and Caleb about to knock as he greeted;

"Hi, Caleb, what brings you two out this way?"

Glancing around, Caleb demanded;

"Where's Dara?"

Motioning down the short hallway to the kitchen door, Lucas offered;

"She's in there, cooking supper. Why don't you go see if you can help her?"

Once the boy what out of earshot, Ben explained;

"Lucas, you know that her brother showed up, right?"

Nodding, Lucas clarified;

"Yeah, that was who was upstairs earlier; he's gone now though. I'm guessing to the boarding house."

Ben sighed as he shook his head;

"Yeah, that's why I brought Caleb here. When I stopped by your house to see your grandmother; Caleb had gone to the boarding house to change clothes so that he could come over here. Anyway, he said that her brother got to fuming about Dara to the point that Caleb said he had to leave. I talked to Matt and Loris and they both said that they didn't really care for him, but under the circumstances she didn't want to put him out, so she just let him rattle on. She does, however, think that it might be a good idea if Caleb stays with you while her brother is here, especially since he found out that Caleb is your son and what your relationship to Dara is."

Lucas wasn't shocked by Ben's explanation, he had actually expected that Seth would try some type of scene at some point. Clapping Ben's shoulder in appreciation, he offered;

"Thank you for bringing Caleb out here Ben. I'll ask Dara about him staying here, either that or he can stay at my house with Mama Lucy; I'm going to be staying here until this is over with and that man is gone."

Shrugging, Ben shook his head;

"I just thought that you should know. I've got to get back to the station, but if you need anything else just give me a call."

Lucas saw Ben out before returning to the kitchen to find Dara and Caleb working on supper. Taking in the scene in front of him, he realized that this was what he had been missing in his life; he also realized that, even if he had made the commitment with another woman that he was about to make with this woman, it wouldn't have been the same because none of them were Dara. He had no doubts that this was what had been meant for him and that that the other women were sent to make him realize the real thing when it was put before him. Dara, seeing the thoughtful look on his face, smiled at him as she ventured;

"Penny for your thoughts; you look like the cat that swallowed the canary."

Raising his head from his task of peeling potatoes, Caleb demanded;

"Did you get her a ring yet?"

Coming to stand behind Caleb's chair, Lucas placed both his hands on the boy's shoulders as he looked down at him;

"Yes I did, I'm surprised that she didn't show it to you yet."

Looking up to pin Dara with his eyes, he jokingly chastised;

"Here I thought that you liked your ring and here you have your first chance to show it off and you don't even take advantage of it."

Casting him a wry look of sarcasm, Dara stated;

"You know that I don't like it; I LOVE it. And I'm sorry that I forgot to show you Caleb; here."

With that she extended her left hand towards him as Caleb held it to study the ring closer as he whistled low before releasing her hand and shaking his head before picking up another potato as he observed;

"That sure is a big one; ain't you afraid that you might blind somebody with it?"

Laughing at his son's statement, Lucas explained;

"Well, son, I picked it out because it reminded me of Dara."

Puzzled, Caleb turned and demanded;

"Huh; what do you mean?"

Glancing across the table to lock eyes with Dara, he answered solemnly;

"Because, Caleb; it's unique, one of a kind and it shines brightly, just like Dara does in our lives."

Bending her head over the carrots that she was slicing for the roast in the oven, Dara blushed deeply at the unexpected compliment. Remembering his and Ben's earlier conversation, Lucas motioned for Dara to follow him into the dining room as he began explaining;

"Darlin, would you mind if Caleb stayed here with us tonight? Apparently, he and your brother don't seem to care for each other and Loris Crower doesn't want to turn him out because of your mother's funeral. So his choices are either here with us or at the house with Mama Lucy; I thought that I'd let him choose for himself."

Considering for a moment, Dara shrugged as she ventured;

"I don't suppose so, I mean there's plenty of food and we can find a place for him to sleep so if he wants to he's more than welcome to stay."

Giving her a quick kiss before pushing her back towards the kitchen, Lucas explained;

"Caleb, I'm staying here with Dara tonight; would you like to stay here with us or at the house with Mama Lucy?"

The look of concentration he wore affirming Caleb's serious consideration of his father's offer, he finally reasoned;

"Well, I appreciate the offer and if you don't mind I'd sure like to stay and eat with you, but I think that I'll stay with Mama Lucy so she won't be alone."

Realizing that Caleb's concern was centered around Mama Lucy being left alone, Lucas nodded his approval;

"That's fine, son, whatever you want to do. I'm sure Mama Lucy will be glad for the company.

Dara had just checked her roast for the hundredth time, much to Lucas' amusement, when the distinct sound of car doors slamming could be heard. Glancing out the window she stated excitedly;

"They're here!"

Hurrying to the entry hallway she stopped briefly in front of the mirror to quickly run a brush through her long hair before she opened the door to greet;

"Kara, Mara, Daddy!"

Standing in the hallway as she hugged each in turn, Lucas couldn't help but notice that when she came to her father, she embraced him a little longer, nor could he help but notice how frail the man appeared. Although Dara and Gwenna's relationship had been unmistakable; Lucas found that, if he looked closely enough, he could detect some similarities between the man he was now studying and his daughter. He wasn't as tall as Lucas but he could be considered medium height; his eyes and hair were, what could only be considered, black as coal, a trait that he seemed to have passed on to his three elder children.

Turning his gaze to her two older sisters, Lucas could see that there were some similarities between them and Dara but definitely not in the color of their hair or eyes. He couldn't help but see that her mother's nickname of 'Little One' had been appropriate where Dara was concerned given that her sisters were both taller and seemed to take more after their father as far as their build. He quickly realized that Dara had inherited her physique and looks from their mother as opposed to their father.

Brining his thoughts back in line, he quickly realized just how much affection Dara had for her family, especially as she hugged her nephews and niece to her tightly. Once everyone had their turn at Dara's attention, Kara noticed the strange man and boy standing at the entrance to the hallway; motioning towards them she ventured;

"Dara, we haven't met your friends yet."

Offering an apologetic smile, Dara introduced Lucas and Caleb;

"I'm sorry; Lucas, Caleb, these are my sisters; Mara and Kara and my father, Alex."

Nodding, Lucas offered; 

"It's nice to meet you."

Seeing the trio's curt nods in response to his greeting, Lucas braced himself for what Dara had warned him might be forthcoming. However, at the moment he allowed her to continue the introductions, paying attention as she touched each head as she spoke;

"And this, is Brittany, Jacob and Mikey."

Lucas couldn't help but notice the look of suspicion that her sister, Kara cast as she demanded;

"Would this have anything to do with what you said you wanted to discuss when we arrived?"

Deciding that the fewer witnesses to what he determined was about to take place the better, Lucas gripped Caleb's shoulders, causing him to look up and, understanding his father's unspoken request, he suggested;

"There's some fishing stuff that I brought outside and a big ole pier on the river behind here. Would you like to go fishing with me?"

Seeing the look of concern pass between the two sisters, Lucas wasn't shocked as Mara asked;

"Is it safe down there for them?"

Lucas nodded as he hastened to assure the women;

"I can assure you ma'am, that, at this point of the river, that water is only about five or so feet deep, they'll be fine."

Turning to their sister for conformation they waited until Dara nodded her agreement of Lucas' statement before giving their sons permission to join Caleb, however, not before issuing stern warnings to be careful. After the boys had pulled the door closed behind them, Brittany turned to her aunt;

"Aunt Dara, where's your room? I'd like to take a shower if that's okay."

Motioning in the direction of her bedroom, Dara advised;

"It's right through there, honey. Feel free to use my bathrobe if you want and the towels are in the cabinet."

Once all of the children were occupied Kara turned to her sister as she demanded;

"Now, can we discuss whatever it was that you wanted to talk about?"

Sighing heavily with dread at what she felt certain was about to become a rather tense debate between her and her family, Dara led the way to the kitchen and began fixing glasses of tea for everyone. As she handed Kara her glass, Mara, who had just took a large gulp of her own tea, began coughing and choking. Finally, after she recovered enough to speak, she pointed wildly to Dara's finger as she demanded;

"What is that; good Lord, is that real?"

Understanding what her elder sister was referring to, Kara took Dara's hand in hers to look at the ring before raising her head to cast a heated glance at her sister as she stated accusingly;

"This, I take it, is what you wanted to discuss."

Taking her seat next to Lucas, Dara was about to speak when, in front of everyone, Lucas took her hand in his as he stated;

"Look, we know that this is not the best time for this, we're more than aware of it, but the bottom line here is that I love your sister and she loves me and we're getting married."

Interjecting hotly, Mara demanded;

"And just exactly when did you find the time to get to know someone well enough to marry him? You were supposed to be caring for Mama."

Lucas could see the anger rising in Dara and hoped, in all sincerity, that she would never direct her temper towards him, as she was now towards her sisters for their accusations; although her tone of voice remained calm;

"First of all, I am the counselor at the hospital, as well as having a private practice; remember? Lucas is the sheriff here, so he and I coming into contact with each other every day is not unreasonable. Secondly; don't you dare sit there and tell me about taking care of Mama. So far through my entire like, I have always been the one to pick up everyone's slack, simply because I'm the youngest. You couldn't do it because you were in another state and had your work and child; okay, fine. I never asked for help from either from either of you."

Taking a steadying breath, she turned to each in turn as she continued;

"Kara, I never expected it from you because you look after Daddy; you've helped where you could, but the bottom line here is that the two of you got off the hook when it came to having to watch Mama suffer. Now, what should be one of the happiest things in my life, you're making it sound as if I was out seducing men with our mother on her deathbed and that's not fair of either of you."

Her gaze swinging from one sister to the other, Dara ventured;

"And quite frankly, people who live in, what could be considered by some to be, at least an eight story high rise condominium made ENTIRELY of glass should really not be throwing stones at someone who pretty much lives in a house made of concrete. If you two get my meaning."

Both stared at their sister, the point of her statement having hit its mark, before turning to their father, who had remained silent, to demand;

"DADDY! DID YOU HEAR WHAT SHE SAID?!"

Studying each of his daughter's in turn, Alex Chambers couldn't help but realize that each was seething in anger as he rolled his eyes at his two oldest daughters before advising;

"Of course I heard what your sister said; I was sitting right here."

Turning to his youngest, he wasn't surprised when he looked into her eyes just before she crossed her arms over her chest as she vowed stubbornly;

"Before you say it Daddy, with all due respect to you, I WILL NOT apologize for what I said."

Nodding his understanding, Alex advised Mara and Kara;

"Girls, you really did bring this on yourselves. You know good and well that once you get your sister riled you're going to catch the sharp side of her tongue."

Turning to Lucas, he chuckled as he offered; 

"That might be something you want to remember, young man. Because trust me, she can give as good as she can get when she's pushed too far."

The humor leaving his face, Alex ordered;

"Now, I want the three of you to calm down."

Addressing his elder two daughters he chastised;

"Mara, you have no reason to pass judgment on your sister. From what I can see, she did very well by your mother; she paid all of the debts that your brother ran up and was able to provide care and a nice home for her, all without any help from you."

Seeing that his statement had the intended effect by the way his daughter held her head in shame, he turned to his middle daughter;

"And Kara, as far as you're concerned; if I remember correctly, you only knew Jack for about a month or so before you decided to marry him. Dara has probably known,"

Turning to address the couple, he asked: "Lucas?"

At their nods of affirmation, he continued; "For about five or six months; so neither of you have any right passing judgment on your sister."

Reaching across the table, Alex addressed what he considered the most important aspect of the situation, as he took his daughter's hand in his before looking into his daughter's eyes;

"Baby, do you really love this man?"

At her solemn nod, he turned to Lucas to demand;

"Do you love my daughter?"

Meeting the man's eyes with sincerity in his own, Lucas vowed;

"With all of my heart and soul; I want her with me for the rest of my life."

Alex searched Lucas' eyes for his sincerity; satisfied by, not only the sincerity but the love he found reflected as he turned to look at Dara, he nodded as he listed his stipulations for his blessing;

"The only thing that I have to say is this; don't you ever lay a hand on her or mistreat her. Otherwise, as far as I'm concerned, you have my blessing."

Dara leapt from her chair to hug her father and place a kiss on his cheek as she offered her gratitude;

"Thank you Daddy, that means a lot to me."

Returning the gesture as he hugged his youngest child close to him, Alex offered;

"You're welcome, Baby Girl. Now, tell me, when are you two getting married?"

Glancing at each other, Lucas and Dara asked the silent question between themselves before Lucas ventured;

"Well, we thought that we would get past Gwenna's funeral first and then decide. I want to give Dara time to catch her breath, she's been through a lot and I don't want to rush her so I figured that I would let her tell me when she was ready and then go from there."

Alex couldn't help but stroke his chin as he gave speculation to the thoughts mulling through his mind;

"You know, Gwenna never could stand sorrow and I know that she would want Dara to be happy and I want to give my baby away; so why not two days after the funeral? I know that may sound bad to some but I think that your mother would want it that way."

Turning to his elder daughters, he asked;

"Girls, do you think that we can stretch the trip that long?"

Glancing at each other in silent inquiry, both nodded as Kara shrugged;

"I don't see why not."

Mara nodded as she turned to her youngest sister, a sad smile on her face;

"Besides, Daddy is right; Mama would want it this way."

Shaking her head, Kara offered;

"Dara, I'm sorry, we had no right to say what we did and before you wonder; yes, we're very happy for you if this is what you want and we'll help with the wedding."

Unable to contain her excitement, Dara threw her arms around Lucas neck as she kissed him before observing;

"Well, it look like you're going to get what you wanted after all; we're getting married in four days."

Nodding as he placed his arms around her, Lucas ventured;

"I just hope that it's what you want too."

Before anyone could say anything more on the subject, Caleb burst through the kitchen door, excited to show his father the large fish that he had just caught. Noticing the tone of the room, he demanded;

"Is everything okay?

Rising to stand behind the boy, Lucas explained;

"Everyone, I know that Dara introduced Caleb earlier but I think she neglected to tell you that he's my son."

Squeezing the boy's shoulders, Lucas nodded as he explained;

"Yes, son, everything is just fine. As a matter of fact, better than fine we just decided that we're getting married in four days; does that sound good to you?"

A broad grin breaking out on his features, Caleb nodded excitedly;

"Yes, sir, I expect it does."

Turning to Lucas, Dara suggested;

"Don't you think that you and Caleb should go and get Mama Lucy and let her eat with us too so she can meet my family?"

Nodding, Lucas agreed;

"Yeah, darlin, I was just thinking about that."

With that he bent to place a sound kiss on her mouth as he issued;

"I'll be back in about half an hour."

With that he turned and walked out the door. Mara, waiting until she heard the sound of a motor starting to be certain that he was out of earshot ventured;

"Well, one thing is for sure; aside from being handsome as sin, he's definitely a charmer."

Turning to her sister, she observed;

"And he definitely loves you, little sister, there's no doubt about that."

Rising from her chair to join her sister at the stove, Kara agreed;

"You definitely lucked up, Dara. And that son of his is as sweet as he can be, too."

Dara nodded her agreement;

"They've both been wonderful; and to tell you the truth I don't think that I could have gotten through Mama's death without Lucas' help, he's been here ever since she passed away."

Dara, hoping to gloss over the fact that Lucas had been sleeping there, decided to go over the sleeping arrangements as she casually explained;

"By the way, I've put the two of you in one of the upstairs bedrooms and I thought that the two boys could sleep in the other upstairs room. Brittany and I can take the sofa bed and Daddy can have my room. I might as well tell you now, Lucas stayed here with me last night."

Seeing the shocked looks on her family's faces, Dara took a deep breath as she launched in defensively;

"Nothing happened; look, last night was, to say the least, 'stressful', I apparently passed out and Lucas brought me home. He didn't want to leave me alone so he stayed with me, he slept on the sofa. Anyway, he's going to be staying here with us; I put him in Mama's room, I didn't think that the rest of us would want to. I hope that you don't mind that he's staying."

Although she knew her sisters would probably appear, at least, vaguely shocked by her admission that Lucas had spent the night, Dara's biggest concern was what her father's reaction might be to the admission. She let out a relieved sigh when her father spoke;

"I don't see the problem, as you said, he's been here for you and I see no reason why he shouldn't continue to be since he, obviously, feels that his place is with you at a time like this."

Offering her parent a loving smile, she expressed her gratitude;

"Thank you, Daddy. I had hoped that you wouldn't be upset."

Turning back to the meal preparations, the three sisters worked in camaraderie, much as they had in their youth. Shaking his head at the picture that his three daughters made working together, Alex stated that he wanted to go relax before dinner in the living room in front of the TV for a few minutes. Watching after her father as he left the room, when she was sure that he was out of earshot, Dara turned to her sisters as she asked quietly;

"Daddy took it hard, didn't he?"

Looking up into her sister's eyes, a look that combined sadness and concern on her face, Kara nodded;

"Yes, he asked me how you were and if she, at least, went peacefully and then he started crying."

Mara, who had been gathering the silverware so that they could prepare to set the table, approached them a she observed;

"The sad part is that neither one of them remarried and you know they still loved each other. I think that, maybe, they could have made it work if they had tried it again after Daddy gave up drinking."

Turning to Dara, Kara demanded;

"Dara, did Mama ever think about going back to Daddy; giving him another chance?"

Sighing at the memory of a conversation that she and her mother had several years ago, Dara shook her head sadly as she speculated;

"I know that she still cared for him, but she had heard that he was dating someone else and she figured that Daddy wanted a clean start. She told me once that she wondered sometimes if, maybe, she was possibly at fault for some of Daddy's problems, that maybe if she had understood what was happening to him with his PTSD that she could have helped him. Add to that, our wonderful brother and the lines he was feeding Mama about how Daddy was doing this and that behind her back during their marriage and any ideas she had were pretty much shot down as soon as she had them and she was the one who did it."

At the mention of their brother, Kara questioned;

"Speaking of Mr. Wonderful, have you heard anything from him yet?"

Noticing the look of frustration on their sister's face, Mara turned to Kara and surmised;

"He's shown up."

Confirming her sister's assumption, Dara explained the events that had taken place to her siblings. Kara was the first to voice the shared opinion of all three sisters;

"You know, it's bad enough what he pulled when Mama was alive, but to try and grab onto what little there is left, knowing about all the bills,"

Shaking her head in disbelief, she continued;

"He's completely unbelievable."

Casting a sideways glance at her youngest sister as she gathered dishes with which to set the table, Mara asked cautiously;

"How did Lucas react when Zach tried to hit you?"

Recalling the chilling look of danger that she had seen in Lucas' eyes as he had warned Seth of the consequences of any further attempts of assault on her person, Dara gave a slight shake of her head as she stated simply;

"Not well."

Hearing Lucas announce his presence as the front door opened and closed, all three silently agreed to table the topic as they made their way to the dining room to begin setting the table.

Glancing to Lucas as he helped her up the staircase, Lucilla demanded;

"Are you sure that this is okay; I mean Dara isn't going to mind, she didn't say anything this morning about my coming to dinner with you all."

Patting the old woman's hand, Lucas assured her, yet again;

"Mama, Dara is the one who told me to come and get you, just so you could meet her family. Now stop worrying over it and just enjoy the evening, okay?"

With that he opened the door for her to precede him inside as he called;

"Dara, sweetheart, we're here."

Leading the way into the living room, Lucas noticed Alex watching TV as Dara hurried through the kitchen door. Happy to see him she wrapped her arms around his waist before kissing him soundly;

"Your timing is excellent, as always, we just set the table and dinner is ready as soon as everyone has a seat in the dining room."

Before she could address the older woman, Lucilla placed her hands on her hips as she ordered;

"Well, let me see it, I want to make sure that he did a good job."

Smiling shyly, Dara extended her hand to be taken in the Lucilla's who finally nodded her approval;

"Good job, boy. I knew that you could it if you put your mind to it; just like finding this little girl here."

Motioning to the dining room she advised;

"Why don't we all sit down and then you can introduce Mama Lucy to everyone."

With that she led the way to the dining room as she advised;

"Everyone sit and we'll have the food on the table in a minute."

Despite her protests, Lucas followed her and her sisters into the kitchen to help bring the food to the table. Once everyone was seated, he introduced Mama Lucy to everyone, who found her charming, especially after her description of herself as she advised;

"It's nice to meet all of you, don't pay any attention to me, I'm just a loud mouthed old woman."

Finding humor in her statement, everyone laughed as they began filling their plates and enjoying the meal that Dara had prepared. During the course of the meal, Kara began the first of the inquiries regarding Dara's plans for her and Lucas' wedding;

"Dara, what you going to do about a wedding dress? Mama never had one and I left mine back home, otherwise, you could have worn it. What kind of a wedding did you want anyway, did you have anything specific in mind?"

Raising a delicately arched eyebrow in question, Dara turned to Lucas who simply shrugged his broad shoulders as he replied;

"I thought that I'd let Dara decide that for herself, it's really her day. So just as long as she shows up to say; 'I do', I don't care if she gets married in her slip if that's what she wants."

Offering a chuckle of amusement between sips of tea, Mara quipped;

"All that would do would be to set a new family wedding tradition. I would definitely give Kara a run for her money for what she did on her wedding day."

Her memory flashing on the event her eldest sister was referring to, Dara's eyes widened as she be laughing;

"Oh, I remember that, I never saw a wedding ring fly that fast."


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 14**

Just as everyone had made themselves comfortable in the living room there was a rapid knock on the door. Glancing to Dara in puzzlement, Lucas rose to answer the urgent knocking. Opening the portal he found Ben, embarrassed at the idea that he had intruded on a family evening; looking apologetic, he pleaded;

"Lucas, could I talk to you for a second? I think that it's important."

Motioning to the kitchen, Lucas led the way to the room and once the swinging door had closed behind them, turned and leaned against a cabinet as he crossed his arms over his chest to demand;

"What is it, Ben?"

Deciding to just launch in and get it over with, Ben advised;

"Look, Lucas, her brother has been at it again. I got a report a little while ago that he had been seen down at Clancy's with Selena Coombs and that, after a few drinks, he got to running his mouth. Mind you with a lot of prodding from Selena; he's made it clear that he intends to, as he put it, 'teach his baby sister a lesson'."

Sighing in frustration as he shook his head, Lucas ordered;

"Alright, Ben, here's what I want you to do; you might go and drop a friendly hint to Selena and remind her that meant every word of what I said to her. If she values her neck, she won't stretch it into other people's business. As far as her brother goes; I'll take care of that. By the way, how about giving Caleb and Mama Lucy a ride back to my house?"

Agreeing, Ben offered;

"Alright, Lucas, I'll drop by Selena's after I take them home."

Joining everyone else in the living room, Lucas turned to Lucilla and Caleb as he advised;

"Ben is going to take you two home, alright?"

Lucas couldn't help but find himself impressed when Dara's family embraced both Caleb and Lucilla as they said their farewells for the evening. Although he could have cared less about facing any animosity from the Chambers family, especially on the subject of his marrying Dara, he knew that her fervent hope was that her family would accept and become fond of Lucas, Lucilla and Caleb; something that he was gratified to realize was indeed the case.

Following Ben, Lucilla and Caleb out to the car, after closing the door for his grandmother, Lucas turned to Ben and ordered;

"Don't forget to pay our friend a visit, Ben."

Ben nodded his agreement silently before sliding behind the wheel. Watching a moment as they drove out of sight, Lucas wasn't surprised when he felt Dara's small arms wrap around his waist from behind before asking;

"Now, do you want to tell me what you and Ben were discussing with such seriousness?"

Turning in her embrace, Lucas placed his arms around her and pulled her close to him before shaking his head;

"Nothing, darlin, just some police business, that's all."

Tilting her head to the side for a moment as she studied him closely, Dara shook her head before advising him;

"I don't quite believe you, but, you gave me the time I needed so I'll let it go and when you're ready, you'll tell me."

With that she laid her head against his chest to feel the steady and reassuring rise and fall of his chest. Both were so content in each other's arms that they failed to realize they were no longer alone until they heard the discreet sound of Brittany clearing her throat. When they turned and found the girl standing there, realizing that she had obviously interrupted something, her face mirroring her chagrin she apologized profusely;

"Aunt Dara, I'm sorry, but Mom says that they're ready to go to bed and could you please show us where the blankets and everything are."

Following the girl back inside the house, both couldn't help but notice the flurry of activity as everyone was gathering their belongings to take to their respective rooms. Noticing her sister, Kara offered;

"Dara, I hope that you don't mind but we changed the sleeping arrangements a little. Me, Brittany and Jacob are going to share a room. Mara and Mikey are going to take the other room so you can have the sofa to yourself, I hope that's okay."

Shrugging, Dara agreed;

"That's fine by me, whatever makes you guys more comfortable."

Glancing about the room, she noticed their father's absence;

"Where did Daddy go?"

Motioning to Dara's bedroom door, Kara offered;

"He said something about going ahead and getting settled."

Crossing the space, Dara rapped on the door lightly before opening the portal as she heard;

"Come in."

Seeing that her father was sitting in the rocking chair she apologized;

"I'm sorry, Daddy, I just needed to get my night clothes; I didn't meant to disturb you."

Offering his youngest child a loving smile, Alex shook his head;

"You're not bothering me, Little Bit. Come here and sit a second and talk to me."

Dara gathered her gown and robe before settling herself on the edge of the bed close to her father, knowing what the 'something' was he was about to open for discussion. Sure enough she realized she was correct in her assumption as he looked her in the eyes and asked directly;

"Now, since your sisters aren't here to butt into our conversation, would you like to tell me how you and Lucas came to the decision to get married?"

Dara had known that when Lucas had announced his intentions and, despite offering his blessings, her father was going to ask her for more details. Biting at her bottom lip, a habit that Alex recognized as an indication of her nervousness, Dara explained;

"Well, I have an office that's across form the Sheriff's office and when I was moving in he helped me with some heavy boxes. Then, I started counseling Caleb and I guess you could say that we just hit it off. It seems that every time I've needed him he's been there."

Seeing the look in her father's eyes, she shook her head as she stated emphatically;

"And I know what you're thinking, Daddy; but that's not why I want to marry him. I want to marry him because I love him. I think you, of all people other than Mama, know that I'm sufficiently capable of taking care of myself."

Pondering his daughter's explanation for a moment, Alex began;

"You know, even when you were a baby, you had this way about you of being able to bring out the best in everyone around you. I've always believed that you were a blessing our lives for that gift, just as, to a point, I've always believed that your brother and his actions were a sort of curse. More so when we realized how vicious he was, especially how he would direct that viciousness towards you. I've always believed that he's jealous of the way that you can reach into a person and bring out their goodness."

Her face mirroring her puzzlement, Dara asked;

"Daddy, what are you getting at?"

Taking his daughter's hand in his, Alex offered;

"Little Bit, what I'm getting at is this; I can see just how much that man loves you, there's no faking that, but I also get the feeling that he can be a very dangerous man when he chooses to be."

Accepting her silence as her acknowledgment of his statement, he asked Dara;

"Baby girl, are you sure that you want to marry this man?"

It took Dara only a moment of consideration before she nodded solemnly;

"Yes, Daddy, I'm very sure. I know that he can be dangerous, cold and hard; but I also know the kindness that he's capable of. And I know, without a doubt, that he loves me and I love him. I want to spend my life with him, Daddy."

Seeing the sincerity in his daughter's eyes, Alex nodded; 

"Alright , Little Bit; I just had to ask you, after all it isn't everyday that my baby girl gets married."

Touched by her father's concern as well as his obvious love for her, Dara reached over and hugged her father tightly;

"I love you, Daddy and please don't worry, it's all going to be alright, you'll see."

Any other discussion was suspended as a knock sounded at the door before Lucas opened it cautiously before inquiring;

"Honey, everyone else has gone to bed already; would you mind if I turn the TV on?"

Shaking her head, Dara offered;

"No, go ahead."

Deciding that now was as good a time as any and realizing that, with the flurry of activity that would occur over the next few days, there may well not be another opportunity, Alex motioned for Lucas to enter the room as he turned to his daughter to suggest;

"Little Bit, why don't you go and put your gown on; I'd like to talk to Lucas for a second."

Glancing worriedly from her father to Lucas, Dara took a deep breath of concern before shrugging her shoulders and leaving the room. Once he heard the door shut, Lucas crossed his arms over his chest as he addressed his future father in law;

"Alright, I knew that this was going to be coming sooner or later."

Noticing the look of challenge in the younger man's eyes, Alex quickly realized that, when it came to Dara, Lucas was more than willing to fight for her. Motioning for Lucas to take a seat on the bed, Alex began hesitantly;

"You don't have to look like I'm about to call you out for a duel; I'm not, I just want to talk to you about my daughter, fair enough?"

Realizing that added tension wasn't going to make the conversation any easier, not to mention the realization of how precarious Alex's health was, Lucas sought to ease the tension as he relaxed considerably before nodding;

"Alright, fair enough."

Mulling over how he wanted to begin the conversation that he felt he needed to have with the man sitting across from him, especially given the fact that man was planning on marrying his youngest child, Alex asked;

"You know that Dara is the youngest, don't you?"

Remaining silent, Lucas nodded as he waited for the man to continue.

"There are a number of years difference between Dara and the rest of the children and I know that it may not seem like it, and although I can't say that we planned for her to be born, Dara wasn't an accident either."

Lucas couldn't help but stare at the man; shocked. Although he would never consider Dara to be unwanted, he had assumed that, given the age difference between she and the other children, that she had not been planned for. Seeing the shock on Lucas' face, as well as the unasked question in his eyes, Alex shook his head as he explained;

"She wasn't exactly unplanned for either. You see, Gwenna's doctor decided that she could no longer use birth control pills and when she told me, well, I figured that if she got pregnant again then it would be because it was God's will. Obviously, Gwenna did get pregnant again, and in November of that year, Dara was born."

Noticing the look of nostalgia that was so evident in the man's eyes as he recalled his child's birth, Lucas remained silent, anxious to hear more of the man's recollections as his face broke into a loving smile before offering;

"You should have seen her; she was the prettiest baby, even when she was born. Her eyes were the color that they are now and when she would smile at you, if just melted your heart. You see, the gift that you see in her, that ability she has to bring out the best in those around her; she's had that since the day she was born. I suppose that's part of why she's able to do her job so well; that gift is even stronger with those that she cares enough about to give a part of herself to."

Sighing in agitation as he shook his head, Alex speculated;

"I've always thought that was a big reason why Seth is so jealous and cruel to her, because he's never been able to to like that. Mara and Kara, they seem to have that quality, but nothing like what Dara does"

Turning to Lucas and pinning him with his eyes, Alex observed;

"You're lucky enough to fall into the category of being a person that she cares about; I would have to be blind not to see just how much you love my daughter and I know that she loves you too. I don't believe that you would ever hurt her, intentionally, but I can also see that when you choose to be that you can be a very cold, cruel and dangerous man. I never want my daughter to suffer because of those qualities"

Deciding that lying was counterproductive, Lucas nodded his agreement of the man's statement as he waited for what he knew was coming when the man stated;

"You're getting a very rare and precious gift in my daughter; she's the strongest person that you would ever want to meet. But, she can also be the most fragile and vulnerable, especially with someone that she loves. All I'm asking is that you never hurt her; in ANY way, and that you love her the way she deserves to be loved. And please, never give her any reason to regret loving you as much as she does; that would devastate her."

Meeting the man's eyes with a look of pure sincerity and honesty, Lucas took a deep steadying breath before speaking;

"Everything that you have just said about your assumption of me is the absolute gospel. But there's something else that you said that's just as true; I love your daughter more than my own life and I can promise you this, I would slit my own throat before I ever intentionally hurt her or let anyone else hurt her either. When I realized that I wanted to spend my life with Dara, I also found myself wanting to be a better man so that she would never have a reason to be ashamed of being my wife. I understand your apprehension; you don't know me, but I swear to you on my son's life, I love her more than I can ever explain."

Alex searched the man's eyes and knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that his daughter would be in good hands. Feeling the need to ask, he ventured softly;

"Did Gwenna know how you felt about Little Bit?"

After Lucas' silent nod, Alex chuckled as he offered an assumption;

"I'm sure that, knowing my ex wife as I did, she was rather blunt in her inquiry into your and Dara's relationship."

Leaning forward as he braced his arms on his knees, Lucas surmised;

"You want to know how she felt about all of this, don't you?"

Nodding, Alex waited patiently as Lucas spoke;

"She point blank asked me if I cared about Dara; I told her that care wasn't the right word and quite frankly I wasn't and, for that matter, I'm still not certain as to whether or not love is a strong enough term for what I feel for her. I also told her, then, that I planned on making Dara my wife, but that, at the time, I knew that she was coming to terms with how she felt for me and I wasn't going to push her because I didn't want to lose her. On her death bed, she asked me, again, point blank, if I had proposed to Dara. When I told her that I had and that she had accepted she just told me that she was glad, even though Dara was more than what I deserved, she had no doubt that I loved her and would take good care of her. Then she passed away."

Alex turned his head as he wiped a tear from his eye before offering;

"I just wanted us to understand each other; I hope that there are no hard feelings."

Shaking his head, Lucas stood before extending his hand as he vowed;

"No sir; I would be the same way if she were my daughter."

Choosing that moment to timidly knock on the door, Dara opened it hesitantly, the concern over her father and Lucas' conversation obvious on her face as she inquired;

"Is everything alright in here?"

Smiling lovingly at his daughter, Alex nodded;

"It's just fine, Little Bit, I was just having a talk with your husband to be. Honey, I'm feeling tired so I think that I'm going to head to bed."

Coming around the bed after helping her father turn the covers back, Dara embraced him as she kissed his cheek before offering;

"Goodnight, Daddy. See you in the morning"

Returning the hug, Alex replied;

"Good night, baby girl, sweet dreams."

Then, he leaned closer to her ear so that only she could hear his statement;

"I think that you've made the right decision, baby; he's a good man."

Giving her father one last hug she and Lucas left the room.

Lucas had decided that he was thirsty and to that end had ventured to the kitchen in search of a glass of tea. Returning to the living room he could see that Dara had settled herself on the sofa with a blanket to watch an old black and white movie. Standing over her he couldn't resist reaching down to twirl a curl of her, now, loose hair. Smiling when she looked up, he leaned down and kissed her as he asked;

"Would you mind if I joined you?"

The corners of her mouth curling upwards she shifted as she offered;

"I'd be hurt if you didn't."

Taking his place, as the night before, in the corner of the sofa, Lucas raised his arm as Dara curled against him to venture;

"You know, I really think that I could get used to this."

Kissing the top of her head, Lucas nodded;

"I'm hoping that you do."

As the thought occurred to her, Dara glanced up at him as she suggested;

"By the way, sweetheart, I turned your bed down. If you'd like to you can go and put your pajamas on so that you can get comfortable, I don't mind."

Chuckling as he grinned at her mischievously, Lucas shook his head;

"I don't wear pajamas, darlin."

Puzzled, Dara stared at him as she demanded;

"Well then what do you sleep..oh, never mind; forget I asked."

Lucas couldn't help but laugh as the proof of her embarrassment crept into her cheeks as she turned her attention back to the movie. Having found himself caught up in the story on the screen, he didn't realize, until he glanced down as he noticed that her breathing had changed, that she had fallen asleep. Careful not to wake her, he simply eased his boots off and stretched his legs out on the coffee table to get more comfortable before hitting the button on the remote to silence the TV.

Being accustomed to waking early, Kara wasn't surprised to realize that she was the first one up the next morning. Realizing that everyone would be hungry, especially with everything that they were going to need to accomplish for both Dara's wedding and their mother's funeral, she decided to head to the kitchen to begin breakfast for everyone. After making her way downstairs, she was about to pass by the living room doorway on her way to the kitchen when she found herself stopping short at the sight of her sister curled up against Lucas' side, both sound asleep on the sofa. She couldn't help but smile at the sight as she realized just how much love Lucas had for her sister, something that she had prayed her youngest sibling would find. Turning, she entered the kitchen and began breakfast preparations, starting with coffee.

Having heard someone in the kitchen, Dara woke before Lucas. Seeing that he was still sleeping soundly she got up, careful not to disturb him as she put on her rube to ease into the kitchen where she found Kara busily whipping eggs in a bowl. Glancing up as her sister entered the room, Kara offered a smile as she greeted brightly;

"Good morning."

Returning the smile as she poured herself a glass of juice, Dara took a sip as she asked;

"How did you sleep?"

Kara raised her head from her task, grinning, to quip;

"Well apparently, not as well as you did."

Blushing furiously at her sister's remark, Dara explained;

"Well, we fell asleep watching TV."

Shaking her head, Kara offered;

"No need to apologize, I haven't been married so long that I've forgotten how it is."

Before either could say anything else, Mara entered the kitchen, still half asleep, to mumble;

"I don't know which one of you did it, but whoever made the coffee, God bless you."

Handing her sister a fresh cup of coffee the way she remembered her liking it, Dara shook her head as she observed;

"Well, I guess we know which one of us took after Mama's coffee habit; don't we?"

Glancing at each other, all three began giggling, trying to be as quiet as possible in their attempts not to wake the rest of the occupants, still sleeping, in the house. Although he had dimly heard the giggling coming from the kitchen, the true motivation that found Lucas waking was the realization that Dara wasn't next to him. Standing to stretch, he couldn't help but shake his head as he sat to put his boots on as he mumbled to himself;

"Damn, she's only slept next to me twice and I'm already used to the feel of her."

With that he made his way to the kitchen where he found the three sisters preparing breakfast for everyone. Catching sight of him, Dara offered him a loving smile as she poured him a cup of coffee before handing it to him as she asked;

"Good morning, darling, did you sleep well?"

Taking the cup from her hand and setting it on the counter top, Lucas ignored the presence of the other two women as he pulled her against him and kissed her deeply before stating;

"I do as long as you're next to me."

Blushing furiously as he released her, Dara went back to mixing the pancake batter as she tried to ignore the shocked looks on the faces of her sisters. When she began gathering the dishes and utensils to set the table, Lucas followed her to the dining room to offer his help. Once the door had closed behind the couple, Kara, noticing the look on her older sister's face, demanded;

"Okay, so what's your problem?"

Shaking her head, Mara ventured;

"Do you know what's so bad? The fact that he looks better after having slept all night in those clothes then what our husbands do all dressed up."

Noticing the shocked looks on each other's faces, both women began laughing. Hearing the sound of the laughter coming from the kitchen, Lucas turned to Dara;

"I wonder what that's all about."

Shaking her head, as she rolled her eyes, Dara observed;

"With those two, it's no telling."

Once the table had been set and everyone had been rooted out of their beds to begin the day, everyone sat down to enjoy the morning meal. Lucas finished his quickly so that he would be able to grab a quick shower before heading in to his office. Having finished with his morning routine, he sought out Dara. Finding her in the kitchen finishing with the cleanup from breakfast, he motioned for her to join him in the hallway.

"What time do we need to be at the funeral home tonight?"

Sighing as she leaned her head back against the wall, Dara couldn't help but feel guilty as she realized that, in her happiness over the prospect of marrying Lucas, she had almost forgotten the pain over the loss of her mother. Shrugging her shoulders she reminded him;

"He said that we should be there about five and it should be over with by seven. Since we don't know that many people here it shouldn't last any longer than that."

Seeing the look of frustration and guilt in her eyes before she turned her head to look away from him, Lucas gently placed his hand on her cheek to turn her face to look into her eyes as he chastised lightly;

"You have nothing to feel guilty about because you're not crying your eyes out every second of every day. Your mother wanted you to be happy so stop kicking yourself just because you let yourself feel happiness over our wedding."

Biting at her bottom lip, she asked quietly;

"Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

With that she wrapped her arms around his neck to kiss him soundly. Lucas wrapped his arms around her waist and returned the gesture before pulling back to question;

"Are you going to go shopping today for your wedding dress?"

Pursing her lips as she considered, she nodded;

"Yes, I guess that I had better since there really isn't going to be time to do so after tonight. Why do you ask?"

Reaching into his hip pocket to produce his wallet, Lucas reached in to pull out a plastic card before handing it to Dara before sternly instructing her;

"I want you to pick out whatever you want and I don't care how much it costs. And before you protest; this is my wedding present to you, not to mention that it makes me happy to do it. As far as the flowers and cake go; I'll take care of that so you just worry about your dress, okay?"

He wasn't surprised at her response when he saw the stubborn look cross her face

"Lucas, I'm not destitute you know? I can buy my own dress."

Placing his arms over her shoulders to pull her closer, he affirmed his position;

"I WANT to do this for you, darlin. You get whatever you want; they shouldn't give you any problems about the card, especially since I'm pretty sure that words gotten around by now that we're getting married."

Sighing in resignation she nodded;

"Alright, if it will make you happy then I'll do it."

Kissing her deeply, he offered;

"I have to go into the office for a a little while, darlin. I'll make sure that I'm back in time to leave tonight; and remember something,"

Wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her closer as he kissed her forehead, he continued;

"I happen to love you very, VERY much and I can promise you that I'll definitely miss you."

Tilting her face up to offer him a tender smile, she demanded;

"As long as you remember that very same thing."

With that he dropped a kiss on her upturned mouth before leaving to begin his day. Once he was settled in the car, he considered a moment before making his decision as he snatched the CB mic;

"Ben, are you there?"

After a brief moment of crackling static, he heard;

"Yeah, Lucas, what's up?"

Resigning himself to what he needed to do, Lucas advised;

"Ben, I want you to go pick up Ms. Coombs and escort her to my office; I'll meet you there shortly; out."

Lucas knew that he was about to face a battle but he was also more than prepared for the onslaught, especially given that Selena seemed to think that she could sidestep his warning by using Seth Chambers to get at Dara. Aside from that aspect; he knew, without a doubt, that Selena could be a real bitch when she chose to be, as her recent actions were proving.

Sitting behind his desk, filling out paperwork, Lucas wasn't surprised when heard and irate feminine voice from the outer office;

"Ben, I told you, take your damn hands off of me!"

Rapping on Lucas' office door, Ben opened it to advise;

"Lucas, here she is. Call me if you need me."

With that he ushered Selena into the middle of the room before stepping back out and pulling the door shut behind him. Although she stood glaring at him once Ben pulled the door to, Selena could see by the dangerous tint in Lucas' eyes that she had definitely overstepped the line between danger and stupidity. Leaning back in his chair as he folded his arms across his chest, Lucas shook his head before demanding;

"Selena, honey, would you care to explain to me exactly why you're trying to push Seth Chambers down a VERY dangerous path; not only for him but for yourself as well?"

Selena thought for a moment, realizing that she must look like a frightened rabbit given that was exactly how she felt. Although she had seen for herself that Lucas definitely loved Dara, she had seriously underestimated just how strong that feeling was between the two. Realizing just how huge the mistake that she had made truly was, all Selena could do was hang her head in silence. Interpreting her silence as her acceptance of the situation, Lucas sighed in frustration;

"Selena, you are most definitely a stubborn woman, that's for certain. Now, I'm only going to tell you this one time and one time only so I want you to make sure that you listen close because I won't extend the courtesy of a warning next time; I'll just pay you a visit myself and save my words. Do I make myself clear?"

Remaining silent, Selena simply nodded, her eyes wide with fear at the knowledge of just what his promise meant as he vowed;

"Now, I am definitely going to marry Dara; whatever we had, and believe me it wasn't much, is over. Don't force me to make our ending a more permanent one. And I strongly suggest that you steer clear of Seth Chambers; I'm certain that he won't mean anything to you but trouble. Now, if you don't mind, I have things that I've got to take care of today."

Pushing his desk chair back to stand, Lucas grabbed his jacket before opening his office door to approach Ben's desk to advise him that he was leaving before glancing over his shoulder at a, still, wide eyed Selena to advise;

"Ben is going to take you home, Ms. Coombs. I hope that we won't have to meet each other again like this."

With that, Lucas left the building as Selena turned to look into Ben's sympathetic eyes as he offered;

"Selena, I warned you; I'm telling you for your own good, you need to let it go because, where that lady is concerned, he's not playing."

Nodding her agreement of his admonishment, Selena realized that there would be no more games played or schemes without Lucas knowing EXACTLY where they had originated. Turning a sultry smile tinged with sadness on Ben, she nodded;

"You were right, Ben; I think that I'll do exactly that."


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER 15**

The day had definitely been a full one for Dara and her sisters; they had managed to find Dara's gown and veil and dresses for themselves as well. They had rushed home with just enough time to shower and dress in preparation for the wake that evening. Walking through the door just as everyone was preparing to leave, Lucas kissed Dara soundly in greeting before demanding;

"Did you get your dress?"

Nodding, she began searching through her purse as she remembered that she had his credit card, Dara offered it to Lucas who held his hand up in refusal as he explained;

"Keep it, honey. I've already called the bank and asked for duplicates of all my cards so that you'll have your own set. But, in the meantime you may need that one."

Shocked, she tilted her head to the side as she admonished lightly;

"Lucas, I do have my own credit cards as well as my own money."

Placing his finger against her lips in a silencing gesture, he shook his head;

"And you still will have your own money. It's my place to provide for you, so just say thank you and make me happy; okay?"

Sighing in resignation, she quipped;

"You're planning on spoiling me, is that your plan?"

Nodding eagerly, Lucas smiled;

"That's the general idea, yes. Besides, I enjoy spoiling you."

Although she was reluctant to break up the interchange, Kara approached them as she cleared her throat discreetly to advise;

"Don't you guys think that we need to get going?"

Sighing heavily, Dara nodded;

"I suppose that you're right, although I can't say that I'm looking forward to this."

Once everyone had made their way outside to the vehicles and he had locked the door, Lucas took Dara's hand in his as he reminded her;

"It's going to be alright, sweetheart. I'll be right there with you, every step of the way."

Offering a loving smile as she gave a slight nod in acknowledgment of his statement, Dara nodded as Kara inquired;

"So who is going to ride with who?"

Noticing Kara's mini-van, Lucas questioned;

"Can you find the funeral home by yourself?"

Nodding, Kara advised;

"Yes, Dara pointed it out to us on our way to the stores today."

Motioning to the vehicles he suggested;

"Alright, you go ahead and take everyone with you. We still have to pick up Mama Lucy and Caleb, so we'll meet you there."

Reaching into her purse, Dara dropped her car keys into his hand as he returned from his own vehicle from retrieving his portable radio, just in case he should be needed. Sure enough, just as he turned the key in the ignition to bring the motor to life, static broke the silence as Ben's voice asked;

"Lucas, are you there?"

Dara couldn't help but note the look of annoyance on Lucas' face as he picked the device up to reply testily;

"Yes, Ben, I am and I'm also off duty. I'm heading for the funeral home now, why?"

Breaking the silence once more, Ben advised;

"Mama Lucy just called and asked me to remind you to pick her and Caleb up, that's all."

Exasperated with this worrisome aspect of his grandmother's nature, Lucas replied;

"Yes, Ben, tell her that I'm on my way to get them now. OUT!"

With that he flipped the switch on the radio before placing it under the driver's seat. Uncertainty marring her features, Dara speculated;

"Should you really have done that? I mean what if there's an emergency?"

Offering her a sideways glance as he put the vehicle in gear, Lucas shook his head as he vowed;

"You're more important; besides, Ben knows where I'm at so don't worry over it. Not to mention, I'm off duty, remember?"

Once they had collected Mama Lucy and Caleb from his house, Lucas pulled into the parking lot for the funeral home just in time to witness, what appeared to be, a scene taking place on the front walkway. Lucas knew by the pained look on Dara's face as she realized that her father and brother were engaged in an altercation, that there was definitely going to be trouble, especially when she exclaimed;

"Oh dear Lord, what is he doing?"

He had dealt with enough drunks in his day to realize that Seth was highly intoxicated, something he didn't find reassuring. He couldn't help but realize just how right he was about to be about the trouble that would be ensuing as he and Dara both could see how her father was trying desperately hard to calm himself down as he was gripping one of the columns of the awning for support. Knowing her concern for her father's health, he wasn't surprised as she jumped from the car just as he brought it to a halt, before he could even put it in park. He barely managed to get out;

"DARA; WAIT!"

before he realized she was already halfway up the walkway. Shaking his head as he snatched the radio from under the seat, he swore;

"DAMN!"

Thrusting the radio to Caleb he fired orders;

"Get Ben over here; NOW!"

With that he bolted from the car and had managed to almost catch up to Dara when her brother managed to break free of his elder sisters' grasp as he lashed out and managed to effectively strike Dara across the face with enough force to knock her to the ground. Although he felt satisfaction at having inflicted pain on his sister, especially given what he considered to be her insult to him with her adamant refusal to give in to his demands for whatever money she had, even in his inebriated state, he quickly sobered to the reality of just how serious of a mistake he had made when he saw Lucas, quickly closing the space between them. Any sense of reason and ration that Lucas possessed quickly evaporated when he saw Seth lash out and Dara fall to the ground. Snatching the man's jacket in his fists he jerked him upright to lift him off the ground to bring him eye level as he roared;

"YOU LOUSY BASTARD? I TOLD YOU WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU EVER TOUCHED HER AGAIN; DIDN'T I?!"

Seth never thought that he had ever been so glad as he was now to hear a siren wailing close by. The feeling was multiplied as he looked into Lucas' eyes and realized that, regardless of witnesses, this man had no qualms about making good on his promise where Dara was concerned. Despite the belief that he couldn't possibly feel a deeper level of fear than what he was now experiencing, Seth quickly realized just how wrong he was as Ben raced up the walkway and attempted to grab Lucas' arm to force his release. However, in his rage, Lucas was easily able to shake Ben off, leaving the deputy unsure as to what he should do. Turning to Lucilla and Caleb, hoping for suggestions, he found himself dismayed when they simply shrugged their shoulders; they, no more than Ben, had any idea how to harness the rage that Lucas was now displaying.

Having found herself quickly surrounded by the protective circle of her sisters and father as they were ensuring that she hadn't been seriously injured, Dara hadn't been aware of Lucas' actions until she glanced up to find her brother being held in his grip of steel. Realizing just how serious he was in his promise of what he would do to the man, she broke from her family's protective circle to rush to Lucas as she began tugging frantically at his arm as she pleaded;

"LUCAS! DON'T PLEASE, HE ISN'T WORTH IT, LOOK AT ME, I'M FINE. PLEASE, HONEY, LET HIM GO.!"

Dara's voice finally began to penetrate through his haze of rage as Lucas turned to look at her through his red haze of anger, which as soon as he was certain that she was really fine, began to clear. Taking a deep breath as he glanced back at the man still being held in his grip, a look of deathly fear evident in his eyes. Narrowing his own eyes to mere slits of anger Lucas growled

"You are DAMNED lucky that she was here; this time."

Seth didn't miss the man's meaning or warning; he had no doubts that if Dara hadn't of stepped in he would be finding his own mortality at a quick end. Uncertainly, Ben asked;

"Lucas, what do you want me to do with him?"

Still breathing heavily, Lucas demanded;

"Did you see your mother?"

Remaining silent, Seth nodded, the fear still evident in his eyes as Lucas released him to toss him away from himself towards Ben as he ordered sharply;

"I want you to lock him up for tonight and then go by the boarding house and get his stuff. Tomorrow I want you to escort him to the funeral and when it's over with, I want him gone."

Turning to Seth he shook his head as he stated emphatically;

"Don't think that I'm doing this for you or out of a sense of decency; not by a long shot. I'm doing this because I know that this is the way that Dara wants it out of her sense of family, so you have her to thank for it, not me. If I had my way, well lets just say that you don't even want to think about that one; and by the way, if you EVER touch her again, I will have my way. Now, do we understand each other?"

Realizing that he had DEFINITELY overstepped his boundaries with this man where his sister was concerned, Seth silently nodded his affirmation of Lucas' statement. Watching as Ben led the man away, Lucas released a pent up sigh of anger before turning to Dara and placing his hand on her cheek as he asked, the concern giving a harsh tone to his voice;

"Are you sure that you're alright?"

At her silent quick nod, he grabbed her hand to turn and face the group standing at the entrance; the shock of what they had just witnessed evident on their faces. Lifting his head to meet all of their stares he addressed the group;

"I'm sorry, and I hope that all of you won't hold that scene against me. But, I meant what I said; I will not see Dara mistreated or abused; by anyone."

With that said, he brushed passed the group to lead Dara into the funeral home. Everyone present turned to each other, the shock dissipating as Kara offered;

"Well, one thing for sure; we know that he won't let anyone hurt her. I think that she's found the right one, if she can harness that temper that he has."

With that said, they followed and joined Lucas and Dara into the funeral home. Lucas wasn't shocked when Jed met them at the door, the agitation and apology apparent on his face as he rushed to apologize;

"Ms. Chambers, I am so sorry, but I had to force your brother to leave."

Taking the initiative, Mara queried;

"Why, what happened, Mr. Simmons?"

They all could see that the man was extremely uncomfortable discussing the incident, but they were truly unprepared for just how low Seth could sink in his depravity as Jed explained;

"Well, Ms. Chambers asked that your mother be buried with her wedding ring, as per her Mrs. Chambers' wish. I caught your brother trying to take it off of her finger; so I made him leave. I am so sorry about the commotion."

Ignoring the shocked gasps from the others, Lucas patted the man sympathetically on the back as he assured him;

"It's alright, Jed, you had no idea what he would do so don't worry about it. It's done and settled with now."

Once he was assured that neither the Chambers family or Lucas was upset with the steps that he had taken in regards to Seth Chambers, Jed asked softly;

"Are you all ready or would you like to wait for a few more minutes before going in?"

Lucas couldn't help but notice how the three sisters grasped each other's hands in an almost subconscious way, as if they were joining together to face a common enemy before Dara ventured;

"We're as ready as we're every going to be, I suppose."

With that said, Jed opened the doors and motioned to the inside of the room as Mara, being the oldest, approached the coffin that held the physical shell of what had once been their mother. She and her son took a few moments before turning as they both wiped the tears from their eyes. Glancing sadly at her sister, Kara remained silent as she led her son and daughter forward to pay their last respects; she, like Mara, spent several moments in silent prayers before turning to place a gentle kiss on Gwenna's cheek just before joining Mara. Noticing the way that he had hung back, Dara suggested quietly;

"Daddy, you go ahead and I'll wait."

Wordlessly, Alex nodded his gratitude to his daughter as he made his way to the dais to begin speaking softly, as though offering some type of confession or reassurance, to his former spouse before leaning over to place a kiss on her cheek as he turned to join his two elder daughters. Lucas couldn't help but notice the tears he was wiping from his eyes as the man turned towards his elder daughters; his suspicions were confirmed when Dara shook her head sadly as she observed;

"They never topped loving each other."

Lucas wasn't completely sure before, but when he glanced down and noticed the impassive look she now wore, he could see that she was trying to turn her emotions off so that she could get through the ordeal she was now facing. Placing his arm around her shoulders, he asked gently;

"Are you ready now?"

Sighing in resignation, Dara stated, more than asked, softly;

"I don't want to do this, but I have to, don't I?"

Searching his eyes for the confirmation of her statement that she already knew she would find, she wasn't surprised when he turned her towards him as he offered;

"I''m sorry, darlin, but yes, you do. It's the only was for us to put this behind you and get on with our life. Not to mention, you know that your mother wouldn't want you to stay mired in this sadness; would she?"

Shaking her head, she silently stiffened her shoulders with resolve before walking purposefully to the dais to say her farewells to her mother. Lucilla and Caleb approached Lucas, the concern evident on their faces as Lucilla asked in uncertainty;

"Lucas, aren't you going to go up there with her?"

Turning to face his grandmother, Lucas shook his head;

"I will in a second, Mama. She needs to say her goodbyes by herself."

Trusting her grandson's judgment, she simply nodded her agreement as she noticed how he was watching Dara like a hawk for the signs of what he knew would be coming. It wasn't hard to realize that the young woman was wrestling with the acceptance of the situation and although what was taking place wasn't how she wanted things to be, it was how they, inevitably, must be. As Lucas was waiting, the door behind them opened silently, admitting Matt and Loris Crower, followed closely by Mrs. Adams. Seeing Dara standing by herself at Gwenna's casket, Matt demanded;

"Buck, why aren't you up there with her?"

Exasperated with having to explain himself, Lucas sighed as he tried to keep his frustration in check as he offered;

"I am not with her at the moment, Harvard, because she needs to say her goodbyes to her mother in privacy; if that satisfies your curiosity."

Chagrined at having been so overbearing in his assumptions, Matt apologized;

"I'm sorry, I should have known better. By the way, how is she taking it?"

Turning, Lucas noticed the way that her chest was beginning to heave with the attempt that she was making trying to hold back her tears. Offering a curt;

"Excuse me."

He made his way to the dais to wrap his arms around Dara before pulling her head to his chest as he tried comforting her;

"It's alright, sweetheart. Go ahead and let it out, there's no shame in your tears so let them out." Dara began crying as Lucas lead her to a seat with the rest of her family. Her mouth open in shock at what she had just witnessed, Loris Crower wasn't shocked when her husband demanded;

"See, I told you, do you believe me now?"

Loris slowly nodded her agreement of her husband's statement as she admitted;

"You told me, I just didn't believe that it was possible. But he really does seem to love her; they're REALLY getting married?"

Having remained silent earlier, Mrs. Adams spoke up;

"That's what they decided, although I'm not certain that they've decided on a date yet?"

Offering his first hand knowledge, Caleb spoke up;

"Yes, ma'am, they did. Lucas said that two days after tomorrow was the day so that her family can be here with her."

Loris couldn't refrain from shaking her head in disbelief as she ventured;

"Well, I guess that miracles never do truly cease; do they?"

Nodding his agreement of his wife's statement, Matt took her hand to lead her to where the Chambers family was seated to introduce her to Dara and the rest of the family members.

"Dara, I'd like you to meet my wife, Loris?"

Although she had held out her hand in expectation of a simple polite greeting, Loris found herself shocked as the young woman rose from her chair to embrace her before offering her gratitude;

"Matt has told me a great deal about you and I'm sorry that I haven't met you sooner. I want to thank you for all of the food that you were so thoughtful to send to the hospital for me, I really appreciated it."

Loris felt a pang of guilt for having ever suspected the woman in front of her of having any type of designs on her husband, especially when she realized just how right Matt had been; she definitely had a way about her. She couldn't help but be reminded of a moth to a flame with the way that Dara was able to draw people out. Reaching out and patting the younger woman's hand, Loris offered her a friendly smile as she responded;

"You're more than welcome, Ms. Chambers. I'm just sorry that I wasn't able to do anything more than send you food."

Dara offered a slight shake of her head as she advised;

"Please, call me 'Dara'."

Loris couldn't help but smile at the girl's friendly manner as she suggested;

"Alright, but only if you'll call me 'Loris'."

The formalities having been observed, Dara turned and hugged Matt;

"Thank you both for coming, Matt. Let me introduce you to my family.'

Having made the necessary introductions, Dara explained that Matt had been Gwenna's attending physician. Once everyone had made Matt's acquaintance she introduced Mrs. Adams, who had remained in the background in uncertainty, and explained just how important she had been in caring for Gwenna as well having become a good friend to both she and Dara. Shortly after the Crowers's and Mrs. Adams' arrival, Ben returned, as promised, to pay his respects. Approaching the group assembled, Ben nodded his greetings to Dara's family before addressing her;

"Dara, I sure am sorry about your mother; if you need anything please let me know, I'll do what I can."

Discreetly, Ben motioned for Lucas to follow him away from the group as he advised;

"Lucas, I've got him locked up for tonight. He pretty much passed out after I got him in his cell."

Nodding, Lucas requested;

"Ben, since it's on your way home, would you please drop Mama and Caleb off at my house?"

Shrugging, Ben ventured;

"I don't see why not, it's not out of my way and besides I get a kick out of your grandmother."

Returning to the group, Lucas explained that Ben would be taking Lucilla and Caleb home, something Lucilla agreed to as she quietly advised her grandson;

"That's fine with me, Lucas. Besides, Dara looks like she's pretty much done in for tonight. Anyway, we'll meet you here for the service tomorrow."

Motioning for Caleb to follow her, Lucilla approached Dara, with Caleb in tow as the boy hugged his future step mother tightly before offering;

"Night, Dara. I sure am sorry about your mama, but I'll be here tomorrow; okay?"

Nodding as she smiled tenderly at the boy, she hugged him tightly before Lucilla bent over to embrace the younger woman as she issued;

"You go home and get yourself some rest tonight; tomorrow we'll get this behind us and then you and Lucas can put things back in order again. I'll be here tomorrow too."

As Ben was escorting Lucilla out the door, Jed approached them and asked;

"Do you think that there will be anymore visitors tonight?"

Dara shook her head;

"No, Mr. Simmons, everyone that we expected have already come by."

Glancing about the room he suggested;

"Well, if you all don't mind I'd like to lock everything up now; I need to get the chapel ready for tomorrow's service."

Once the wake had concluded, Lucas realized that he had not eaten anything that day since lunchtime and was feeling that fact in the rumbling of his stomach at that moment as he suggested;

"Is anyone else, besides me, hungry?"

He found himself amused when everyone, with the exception of Dara, eagerly confessed to suffering from the same ailment as well. Placing his arm around her shoulder, he ventured;

"Darlin, how about if we all go and get something to eat?"

He wasn't shocked when she shrugged her shoulders before replying;

"That's fine with me, but I'm not really hungry though."

Despite the fact that she had denied feeling hungry, Lucas was gratified to see that she ate her entire meal. As they were driving home, even in the dark, he could tell that she was still dealing with her conflicting emotions; feeling the need to reassure her, he reached across the seat to take her hand and, gently, squeeze her fingers to silently reassure her that he was there for her if she needed him. He wasn't surprised that, although she was still looking out the window, he returned the gesture to assure him that she was aware of his support.

When they walked in the door, Dara noticed how almost everyone seemed to have made themselves scarce with the exception of her father, who was relaxing in front of the TV. Dara placed her hand on her father's arm as she asked;

"Daddy, where did everyone go?"

Motioning to the staircase, he explained;

"Your sisters decided to get comfortable and the boys said something about some movie or something they wanted to watch and Brittany, as usual, has her nose stuck in a book."

Nodding her understanding she inquired;

"If you're not planning on going to bed right away would you mind if I took a quick shower?"

Patting her hand as he shook his head, he advised;

"No, Little Bit, you go ahead. Actually, I was thinking about making some coffee if that was alright."

Before she could answer, Lucas volunteered;

"Darlin, you go get your shower and I'll make a pot of coffee for everyone, it should be done about the time that you are."

Offering him a loving smile of appreciation she nodded;

"That would be wonderful, thank you, darling."

Standing in the shower, Dara allowed the warm water to wash over her as she contemplated everything that had and was about to take place over the next few days; a week ago her entire focus had been on the naive hope that some miracle would present itself to keep her mother with her, at least for a while longer. However, a week later, she was finding herself coming to grips with her mother's death and the realization that the blessing was in the fact that her pain and suffering were at an end. Although she knew that the sadness that she felt over the loss would always be with her, so too would the love and wonderful memories that had been shared between them.

However, the sad thoughts weren't the only ones that found themselves occupying her thoughts; she couldn't help but feel somewhat overwhelmed at the realization that, by this time next week, she was going to be Mrs. Lucas Buck. Unable to stop her lips from curling in a smile as she contemplated the thought of Lucas and his love for her, she sighed contentedly, although she couldn't deny the pangs of nervousness she felt at the prospect, the love she felt for him far outweighed the concern. Turning the faucets to cease the water flow, she pushed the shower door open to quickly wrap a towel around herself as she stood before the mirror and admonished herself;

"No sense in getting nervous, you know this is what you want and there's no sense in trying to pretend otherwise. Besides, you know the nervousness is a natural part of getting married, not to mention it's easier to deal with that than, even the idea, of walking away from him."

Wiping her hand across the reflective surface, she confessed;

"Face it, girl, that man has you; hook, line and sinker."

With that she finished drying off to join the others in the kitchen.

Lucas turned from fixing himself a cup of coffee when he heard the 'whoosh' of the swinging door as Dara entered the kitchen. Reaching to the cabinet in front of him, having familiarized himself with the kitchen, he took a glass and poured her a glass of iced tea before retrieving his own cup and joining her and the others at the kitchen table. Placing the glass in front of her as he leaned down to kiss her cheek he asked;

"You feel better after your shower, darlin?"

Taking a sip from her glass she nodded;

"Yes; much. Thank you, honey."

Turning to her sisters, Dara pinned them with her eyes as she demanded;

"I didn't get a chance to ask you two earlier, but why were you holding Seth back like you were?"

Mara and Kara exchanged questioning looks before turning to their younger sister to explain, chagrined;

"Well, when we got there he was ranting about going back inside to 'straighten' Mr. Simms out. Daddy tried talking some sense into him but he just knocked him out of the way so we were trying to restrain him as best we could."

Offering a look of apology to Lucas, Kara continued;

"We were hoping that you would hurry up and arrive; we just didn't think that Dara would be the first one out of the car."

Lucas took a sip from his cup before nodding;

"Well, just as soon as the service if over tomorrow he is going to be escorted out of town."

Dara glanced over the rim of her glass at her father and realized, for the first time that evening, just how quiet he had been since leaving the funeral home. Reaching across the table to place her hand over his she asked;

"Daddy, are you alright? You've been pretty quiet since we got home."

Patting her hand, Alex offered a small, sad smile as he sought to ease her concern;

"I'm fine, Little Bit. I'm just a little tired I guess."

Dara couldn't deny how busy and trying the day had proven for everyone, especially given the added stress of planning for her and Lucas' wedding. Studying her father for a moment, she ventured;

"I think that we're all pretty much done in for tonight, Daddy. Not to mention, we still have tomorrow to get through. Daddy, are you sure that you're up to a wedding this soon after Mama's funeral?"

Alex sat silent for a moment, considering his daughter's inquiry. Throughout her life, Dara had always tried to place everyone's needs above her own. Studying her now as she sat next to Lucas, he realized that the love that flowed between the two was something almost tangible. He knew that if he suggested it she would agree to a delay, but seeing how much the couple loved each other and given what she had gone through with Gwenna's illness and death, he became more determined than ever that, this time at least, she was going to come first. Shaking his head he sought to assure her;

"Baby, I'm sure. Besides, we need something good to balance out all of this and you and Lucas need to go ahead and get married."

Casting an amused glance at Lucas, he speculated;

"Besides, judging by the way that my soon to be son in law looks at you when he doesn't think anyone is paying attention, the sooner you two get married the better."

Although Dara was blushing at her father's statement, Lucas couldn't contain his grin of amusement as he turned to her and shrugged;

"Well, sweetheart, he does have a good point."

Casting him a look of censure at having found amusement at her embarrassment, Dara nudged him with her elbow as she addressed her father;

"Alright, Daddy, if you think that's what's best then we'll go ahead with the wedding."

After draining the last of the coffee from his cup, Alex rose and kissed each of his daughter's cheeks as he bid them goodnight and made his way to the bedroom to retire for the evening. Once they heard the bedroom door close, Kara shook her head;

"I guess this took more out of him than what we thought it would."

Mara nodded;

"Not to mention our dear brother showing up in his condition and making such a scene."

Glancing covertly at her eldest sister over the rim of her glass as she took a sip, Dara tried conveying the idea that the subject needed to be dropped. Kara, having interpreted her younger sister's silent message, turned to her sibling as she suggested;

"I'm tired Mar, let's go on up and get some rest, we're going to need it over the next couple of days."

With that they bid Dara and Lucas goodnight as they left the kitchen. Dara rose from her chair and began gathering the cups and glasses to place in the dishwasher. Silent as he contemplated the next few days, Lucas finished his coffee before joining her at the dishwasher to hand her his now empty cup. He had noticed it earlier, but now he was certain that there was a definite edginess to her demeanor, something that didn't shock him given everything that she had been through in such a short amount of time.

Although she hadn't said anything to him, Dara wasn't completely shocked when Lucas turned her to face him before wrapping his arms around her waist as he kissed her deeply; pulling back slightly he offered;

"I'm going to go watch some TV, if you need or want me you just yell; okay?"

Despite the fact that she wasn't shocked at his realization of her mood, she found herself a little surprised by the calmness with which he had accepted it. The truth was that she had been afraid to simply tell him that she needed to be alone for a little while; she had been fearful that it might give him the impression that she didn't want him around her or that she didn't want his company. She loved Lucas with all of her heart but the truth of the matter was that she had not had one minute to herself since the ordeal of her mother's illness had begun and the tension of it was now beginning to eat away at her. Lifting her eyes to meet his gaze she asked softly;

"Do you have any idea just how much I love you, not to mention how much I appreciate you're being here with me?"

Placing his hand along her cheek, he speculated;

"Hopefully as much as I do you."

With that he placed a kiss on her forehead before turning to leave the room, allowing her to finish loading the dishwasher. Once Dara had started the machine she let herself out onto the porch from the kitchen door to make her way to the porch swing. As she lowered herself to sit in the swing she couldn't help but smile as a memory of her mother passed through her mind. She could still remember when she had the swing hung how her mother had stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips shaking her head as she stated emphatically;

"Dara Cherice, you are just like your grandmother; she always had to have a rocking chair and a swing."

Lifting her hand to brush away the tears that were now falling, Dara voiced her thoughts aloud; 

"Oh, Mama, I wish that you were going to be here to see me get married, not to mention be here for my children. But, I guess that God had other plans for you and I know that you're in a much better place without the pain and sickness that you suffered here."

Taking in the scene before him, Lucas stood silent in the shadows as he watched her working through her emotions. Understanding that what she was in the most need of was time to herself, he ventured back inside to finish watching a movie that he had found on TV. When the movie ended, an hour later, he decided to check on Dara. Opening the front door quietly, he glanced at the swing and couldn't help but shake his head or smile lovingly at the sight of her curled in the swing, fast asleep. Careful not to wake her, he gathered her in his arms and took her inside; realizing that she would be much more comfortable there than on the sofa, he made his way to her mother's room and gently placed her on the bed before pulling the covers over her. Giving thought to his own options for a moment, he decided to follow his impulse before removing his boots and vest as well as partially unbuttoning his shirt to lay on the bed next to her. Pulling her closer to him as he put his arm possessively around her he realized just how well she seemed to fit next to him; with that thought in mind he settled down to find his own rest for the night.

The next morning found Kara and Mara waking before everyone else. As they descended the staircase they stopped short as they passed the living room, not finding either Lucas or Dara on the sofa sleeping. Turning to each other in uncertainty, Mara questioned;

"Where do you think they are?"

As puzzled as her sister, Kara shrugged;

"I don't know."

It was then that they heard the muted sound that was the unmistakably that of a man snoring. Following the sound they found themselves standing before the slightly opened door of their mother's room. Mara turned to her sister, the apprehension and suspicion evident in her eyes;

"You don't think that they did, do you?"

Glancing from the door to her sister she suggested;

"Well, the door is cracked so we could peek."

Cautiously, they approached the door just before Kara softly pushed it open a bit more. The look on her face changed from one of trepidation to tenderness and amazement as she motioned for her sibling to step closer so that she could catch a glimpse of what she had witnessed. Dara was snuggled warmly beneath the covers while Lucas was, not only lying on top of the comforter but, fully dressed ad well, with the exception of his boots and vest. The only intimate contact that was apparent between the two was the arm that he had lying across Dara in a possessive manner. Pulling the door quietly to, Kara turned to her sister, a look of satisfaction in her eyes as she pointed out;

"Well, at least we know that he's a gentleman; he's had several opportunities but he hasn't acted on any of them?"

Noticing the look of aggravation on Mara's face, she demanded;

"Well what's the matter with you?"

Shaking her head in exasperation, Mara ventured;

"I was just thinking that if we had even suggested our husbands sleep in the same bed with us before we got married, mind you just SLEEP, they would have thought that we were nuts. Here she doesn't even have to make the suggestion, he thinks of it on his own."

Chuckling quietly with her sisters observation, Kara nodded her agreement;

"Tell me about it. Oh well, at least we know that he loves her enough to want to be next to her; with or without the benefit of being intimate."

Quietly they made their way to the kitchen to begin preparing the morning meal.

Waking to the smell of coffee brewing and bacon frying, Dara took a moment to orient herself as she realized that, not only was she not on the sofa or in her own bed but there was the unaccustomed presence of another person lying next to her; something evident by the male arm thrown across her on top of the covers. Realizing that they were in her mother's bed, she turned carefully, so as not to awake him, to study his face relaxed in sleep. Realizing that, not only was he fully clothed but he was also lying on top of the covers. Smiling tenderly at his considerateness she decided to let him sleep longer as she pushed a stray wisp of hair away from his brow before easing her way out of the bed to make her way to the kitchen to help her sisters with breakfast.

Kara had just poured a glass of juice when her younger sibling walked into the kitchen; knowing that coffee was one habit that Dara had never developed a need for, she offered her the glass. Dara had just taken a sip as she nodded her thanks when she noticed that both of her sisters were giving her the oddest of looks;

"Alright, what is it? I can see that there is something on your minds."

A mischievous smile on her features, Mara ventured;

"Oh, nothing, it's just that we were wondering how you to it, that's all."

Puzzled, Dara demanded;

"What do you mean; 'do what', Mara?"

The look of mischief still on her face, Mara quipped;

"Sleep next to somebody who looks like your future husband does and NOT take advantage of the opportunity presented."

Kara began laughing, unable to contain her humor any longer, as Dara blushed furiously;

"Cute sister dear; you're funny."

Seeing that she had embarrassed her youngest sister, Mara became apologetic as she placed her arm around Dara's shoulders to offer;

"Sweetie, please don't pay any attention. I'm just jealous; I mean you seem to have found the perfect man. I mean think about it; he's gorgeous, he's smart and he loves you a LOT. Not to mention that he's willing to do whatever it takes to make you happy. I just wanted to pick on you a little I guess."

Dara couldn't help but offer her sister a smile of forgiveness; realizing just how much it took for her to admit her jealousy. Hugging Mara, she offered;

"It's okay, really."

Hearing his approach, Dara prepared Lucas a cup of coffee just before he entered the kitchen. Taking the cup from her hand he pulled her to him and, oblivious to the presence of her sisters, kissed her soundly before greeting;

"Morning, darlin. Did you sleep well?"

The memory of the security and love that she had felt being held in his arms through the night brought a slight blush as well as smile to Dara's face as she admitted;

"Yes, I did. But you didn't have to make yourself uncomfortable for my sake."

Shrugging carelessly, he admitted;

"I've slept in a lot worse places and for not as a good a reason."

Studying the look in her eyes he could tell that she understood his meaning; it didn't matter where he was just as long as he had Dara next to him. Pleasure bringing a deeper hue of pink to her cheeks at the unspoken words and thoughts between them, she excused herself to take her turn for a quick shower.

Arriving at the funeral home, Dara wasn't shocked to find the Crowers and Mrs. Adams awaiting their arrival. After exchanging brief hugs everyone took their seats just as Ben entered with Seth in tow; Dara glanced anxiously at Lucas with apprehension in her eyes. Having already interpreted her feelings on the matter, Lucas placed his arm around her shoulders as he explained;

"Honey, I'm sorry, but this is the only way that I can think of to keep him from making another scene."

Biting at her bottom lip, the uncertainty evident on her face, Dara ventured;

"But, Lucas, darling; having Ben as a guard on him, don't you think that your presence would be enough to deter him? I just hate causing this much inconvenience to you or the Sheriff's department."

Grasping her hand in his, he stared into her eyes as he vowed;

"Sweetheart, you are not causing any inconvenience. You're brother did this to himself, not you and as far as Ben, he volunteered to do this because he knows that I want to make sure my attention is focused where it needs to be today; on you."

Sighing in resignation, she remained silent as Ben motioned to the seat in front of Lucas and Dara; Lucas returned the gesture with a nod of agreement at the unspoken question. Dara quickly realized that, even with Ben's presence, Lucas still wanted Seth in front of him rather than behind him. After everyone had been settled in their seats, Reverend Simmons, the minister who had been kind enough to visit Gwenna after having learned of her illness from Mrs. Adams, approached Dara as he patted her hand comfortingly;

"Dara, dear, are we ready to begin?"

Dara couldn't help, with his silvery white hair and beard, but compare the man to a thinner version of Santa Clause as she nodded; 

"Yes, Reverend, please."

Approaching the podium, Reverend Joshua Simmons asked everyone to rise as he offered an opening prayer. Although Lucas had attended a number of funerals, especially given his profession, he had never taken a genuine interest until now. He found himself offering his hopes that Gwenna had been granted her final reward of peace and happiness in heaven; a place that he had never really given much consideration of, but he knew that was Dara's hope and prayer for her mother and, for her sake, he found himself believing in the possibility. Once the prayer had been completed and the minister had asked everyone to sit, he reached into his jacket and withdrew an envelope as he explained;

"I know that this is highly irregular, but Mrs. Chambers gave me this letter on the last visit that I paid to her before she was admitted to the hospital. She asked that I read this at her funeral service and, having read over the letter, I believe that the words that are on these pages would be of more comfort than any words that I could possibly offer."

Glancing at each other, the three sisters shared identical looks of puzzlement as Mara demanded;

"Did you know about this?"

Shaking her head slowly, Dara considered;

"No, I had no idea. I mean Reverend Simmons visited Mama regularly, but she never mentioned anything about this."

Clearing his throat, Reverend Simmons perched his glasses on the tip of his nose as he began;

"To the loved ones that I am leaving behind; first of all, I don't want any of you to be sad for me. I am in a much better place now; I've been battling this terrible disease now for over a year and I am looking forward to finally being able to rest, so shed no tears for my passing. But, I want each of you to know the importance that you've held in my life."

Glancing at Alex, Reverend Simmons stated;

"To my former husband, Alex. I want you to know that I never ceased to care about you. I realize that we had a lot of outside influence to cause interference in our marriage and that, had we both been stronger, perhaps we could have held it together. But, there isn't any use in fretting over something that can't be changed. Just know that I still cared up until the end and that our children are that much more precious to me because they are ours."

Glancing down the row of seats at her father, Dara could see that he had been deeply touched by her mother's final words to him as he was wiping tears from his eyes. Without realizing that she had done so, she had squeezed Lucas' hand' drawing strength from the contact. Feeling the slight pressure from Dara's touch increase, Lucas followed her gaze and realized the reason behind her actions. Placing his arm around her shoulders he pulled her closer to him as Reverend Simmons continued;

"To my eldest daughter, Mara. You were my first child and first loved; I realize that I made a lot of mistakes as a mother, the only thing that I can say in my defense is that I tried my best and let my heart lead my decisions. I only pray that, as a mother yourself, you can now understand the quandary of decisions that I was faced with. I ask for your forgiveness for the mistakes that I did make and I also ask that you understand that, although they were still mistakes, they were made out of love and not spite."

Mara, who was now visibly weeping, held her son close to her; her mother's final missive having touched a deep note within her heart. Continuing, Reverend Simmons turned to address Kara;

"To my daughter; Kara. Despite everything that has transpired before between us, I ask you, like your sister, to forgive me for the mistakes that I have made as your mother. I can't help but think that when I look at you and the gift that you have with the children that you teach, that somewhere, your father and I gave you the gift of understanding. I see the mother that you, yourself, have become, as well as your sister and I feel rewarded because you two have become wonderful mothers in your own rights. My wish for you is that your children are as much the gift to you that you were to me."

Smiling sadly at her two children as she wiped tears from her eyes, Kara followed Mara's example and embraced them closer to her. Before continuing, Reverend Simmons cast a wary glance at Seth as he read;

"To my only son, Seth. I wish that I could tell you how much pride that I have in you, but the sad truth is that the only happy thoughts that I can focus on are the ones of you when you were a baby. Your father and I had such wonderful hopes for you, especially after you recovered from your illnesses. My wish for you is that you learn acceptance of your faults and correct them before it's too late for you. You have the potential to be a good man, if you would only let go of the hatred and jealousy that you harbor towards others. But know this; whether you mend your ways or not, I will always love you, I may not like you, but I will still love you."

Having hung his head in an attitude of shamefulness, Seth was now weeping at the sting of his mother's final words. Whether it was because of his realization of the disappointment that he had inflicted on his mother, or for his own selfish reasons, no one could fathom. Turning to smile kindly at Dara, Reverend Simmons shifted the letter to the next page as he began reading;

"To my youngest child, Dara. You were the unexpected gift that God sent to our family. You have always had the gift of being able to find the best in a person and bringing that out in them; perhaps that's why you're so good at your chosen profession. You have always been able to make people smile, in spite of themselves, due mostly to your wonderful personality and sense of humor. I know that you and I have been together for a long time and that even though your sisters and brother love me too, you'll be the one to feel the loss more. Even though you don't realize it, you'll never know how special the gift of your being with me when my time comes is going to be to me, or how comforting. I don't think, however, that you shall be lonely for very long; and with that in mind..."

Withdrawing a single piece of paper from the envelope, Reverend Simmons turned in Lucas' direction as he spoke;

"To Lucas Buck."

At the mention of his name, Lucas looked up sharply as did everyone else. As if on cue, the preacher continued;

"Don't look so surprised, Lucas; just because my body is debilitated does not mean that my eyes or mind are. I would have had to have been blind not to see how much you and my daughter love each other. I would be lying if I said that I was handing her into your keeping without reservation. You're a hard and cold man when you choose to be, but I have never seen any of that in you when it comes to my Little One. Although I still say that she's too good for you, I do believe with all of my heart that you'll protect and cherish her. So with that said, know that I give you my blessings to marry my daughter."

Lucas couldn't help but offer Dara, who was openly weeping at her mother's words, a tender smile as he pulled her closer to allow her to draw from his own strength and support.

Once the minister had said a prayer, Jed Simms and his assistants took charge of the casket to place it in the hearse. However, when the director approached her, Dara became horrified to realize that she had forgotten an important detail as the man inquired;

"Ms. Chambers, we never did discuss the pall bearers for your mother."

Her eyes widening in horrified shock, Dara turned to Lucas, panicked;

"Dear Lord, with everything else I forgot to make arrangements for pall bearers. What are we going to do?"

Taking quick control of the situation, Lucas turned to Jed;

"Can you and Jim and Tim help?"

Nodding his agreement, Jed advised;

"Yes, but we're still in need of three more."

Turning back to Dara, he instructed;

"Stay here a moment."

Approaching Ben and Matt Crower, who were now in a deep discussion, he explained the situation to them as he asked for their help. Ben, the first to speak, agreed;

"Sure, I don't mind. I told you that anything that Dara needed that I'd gladly do."

Turning to Matt, he breathed a sigh of relief as the man nodded his head;

"I don't see a problem with it, besides, Dara's a good friend, I wouldn't want to let her down."

Offering a silent nod of appreciation, Lucas returned to Dara to ease her fears over the dilemma as he explained;

"Don't worry, I took care of it; okay?"

Exhaling a sigh of relief she offered a heartfelt;

"Thank you."

Once the party gathered had arrived at Trinity Oaks Cemetery, Lucas motioned for Matt and Ben to follow him as they assisted Jed and his two assistants with placing Gwenna's casket on the perch, ready to be lowered to her final resting place. Taking the seat that Dara and Caleb had saved for him, Lucas took Dara's hand in his to give her the reassurance that he was there for her. He could see as she turned to look at him that she was trying desperately hard to contain her emotions as she turned to face the minister who had begun his final words of prayers. The prayers concluded, each member stood to lay a rose on top of the casket as Reverend Simmons concluded the service.

Moving past the grave site, the group assembled to discuss their plans for the midday meal. Dara, hearing the purr of the small motor that came to life when Jed turned the contraption on that would lower Gwenna's casket into the grave, couldn't help but look forlornly at the sight of her mother being lowered into the ground for the rest of eternity. Lucas, catching her glance, placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him;

"Dara."

He realized that, as she was still staring at the morbid scene, she didn't seem to hear him. Giving her shoulders a gentle shake to gain her attention, without attracting that of the others, he ordered;

"Dara, honey, look at me."

When she turned to face him, he caught and held her gaze as he spoke softly;

"Darlin, there's nothing that you could have possibly done to change this. You heard what your mother said in her letter; she's glad that she's at peace. I know it's hard, but, sweetheart, you need to love her enough to let her go, we have to get on with our lives now. We're going to be starting a whole new life together in two days time so let's try and focus on that; alright?"

Sadly, she nodded;

"I know that you're right; I'm sorry that I'm being selfish."

Putting his arm around her shoulders to draw her closer to him as he led her to the parking lot, Lucas offered;

"It's alright, you've been through a lot and you're entitled to be a little selfish."

Hugging her closer, he vowed;

"We'll work all of this out, I promise."

When they joined the others gathered, Ben informed Lucas that he was releasing Seth to leave Trinity. As he narrowed his gaze at the younger man, he challenged;

"I'm certain that we won't be seeing you around here again; will we?"

Seth couldn't hide his fear of the man standing in front of him; he had no doubts that, should he ever set foot in Trinity or attempt to bully or harass Dara in the future, Lucas Buck would make good on his promises. With that knowledge in mind, he eagerly shook his head as he got in his car and quickly left.

The usual custom of gathering at Dara's home had been foregone due to all that would need to be accomplished before the wedding, which was now two days away; this being the case everyone had opted to simply gather at a restaurant instead. Once everyone had satisfied their appetites the waitress appeared with the various bills and before anyone could protest, Lucas had motioned for the girl to take his credit card as he ordered;

"Put them all on this; I'm paying for it."

Matt and Loris, as well as Mrs. Adams, cast him glances of trepidation as Loris spoke;

"You didn't have to do that, Sheriff. We're quite capable of paying for our own meal."

Understanding the woman's reluctance to accept anything that he offered, Lucas brushed the argument aside as he explained;

"I don't mind and besides, it's my way of thanking you for everything that you've done for Dara while Gwenna was in the hospital."

Loris decided to allow the subject to drop as she accepted his explanation.

Turning to Dara, Lucas asked quietly;

"Do you want me to go ahead and tell them about the wedding plans?"

Eagerly, Dara nodded; she preferred for him to be the one to deliver the announcement. Turning to the three acquaintances gathered he explained;

"Dara and I want to tell you something; we're going to be married the day after tomorrow. She wants her family to be here with her and that's as long as they are able to stay. We're hoping that you will all be there."

Having heard the information from Caleb, they didn't find Lucas' announcement shocking. However, having developed a fondness for Dara they eagerly seized the invitation and promised to be at Dara's house at he appointed time. As everyone left the restaurant, Dara noticed that Lucilla and Caleb went with her sisters and father. Puzzled she questioned;

"I wonder why they aren't riding home with us?"

Lucas couldn't contain his grin of mischief as he opened the door for her; once he had slid behind the wheel he turned to look at her, his grin turning to a suggestive smile. Dara couldn't help but feel puzzled as she looked at him questioningly; finally, unable to resist the grin on his handsome face she demanded;

"Alright, what is it?"

Taking her hand in his he asked;

"How would you like an afternoon; just the two of us?"

Biting at her bottom lip in uncertainty, Dara ventured;

"But the others..."

Finishing her statement, Lucas explained;

"Are well aware; why do you think that I sent Mama and Caleb back with Kara? I talked to her and she said that she'd cover for us. Come on, let's do something fun, just us."

Considering his statement for a moment, she asked ambivalently;

"What's your definition of fun, Lucas?"

Despite himself, Lucas couldn't help but smile at her with a combination of invitation and lechery as he chuckled;

"Not what you're thinking. Besides, we're saving that for our wedding night, remember?"

Blushing furiously, Dara couldn't help but feel disconcerted by the fact that he had fathomed her thoughts. She was definitely going to have to learn how to control her baser instincts when he was around that was all that there was to it. Seeing her embarrassment, Lucas squeezed her hand;

"Honey, it's alright. I was only joking with you, I didn't mean to embarrass you. I was just thinking about this little spot and a little sight seeing that might be right up your alley. How about it?"

Considering, Dara couldn't help but admit that it had been a long time since they had any time alone and an afternoon away from everything and everyone was very appealing. Finally, smiling, she replied;

"Sure, why not? Let's go."


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER 16**

Bringing the car to a halt at the spot that he had in mind when he proposed the outing to Dara, Lucas couldn't help but feel gratified by the inspiration that had given him the idea in the first place when he saw Dara's reaction. Her breath caught in her throat at the beauty of the scene before her. She realized that this couldn't have been more perfect if it had been a painting that had been done by the hand of one of the masters. The blue and green of the pureness of the water, mixed with the green of the grass and the pure blue, tinged with white, of the sky. However, instead of the scene being a painting done by the hand of a mortal this was done by the hand of God.

Dara couldn't help but shake her head in disbelief at the majesty of the the scene in front of her as she got out of the car and approached the lake, which was fed by three small waterfalls converging together. Wrapping her arms around herself in an attempt to contain the chill bumps she felt at the sight in front of her, she turned to Lucas as she vowed softly;

"This is the most beautiful thing that I think I've ever seen."

Lucas finished spreading the blanket on the ground with the basket that he had placed in the car before the funeral service before he rose to cross the space between them. Towering over her, he looked down to lock gazes with her, a wistful look coming into his eyes as he silently released the clasp that was holding her hair, releasing it to fall freely down her back to her waist. Running his fingers through the long spill, he shook his head as he offered;

"I would definitely have to disagree with you on that one, darlin. YOU'RE the most beautiful thing that I've ever seen."

With that he descended to take possession of her mouth, kissing her gently. Lucas could tell that she was losing herself in the contact as he felt her small arms encircle his neck as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her even closer to him. When he lifted his head to gaze into her eyes he couldn't help but find himself lost in their sea-green depths. Wordlessly, he swept her up into his arms and walked to where he had laid the blanket on the ground to gently place her on the soft cloth before stretching out to lay next to her as he began teasing her mouth and throat. Her arms still wrapped around his neck, Dara looked at him, a contented smile curling her lips as she asked;

"Is this what marriage with you is going to be like; a little bit of heaven?"

Lifting his gaze to stare into her eyes, Lucas replied silkily;

"Why not, I certainly have the angel here to make it that way."

He thought that he had never heard anything sound so musical as the sound of the laughter that was caught up in from the enjoyment of their playfulness. Sitting up, Lucas let Dara make herself comfortable, with her head in his lap, as he reached over and pulled a bottle of wine and two glasses from the basket. Carefully, he opened the bottle and poured them both a glass as he toasted;

"Here's to the beginning of our life together; may it always be as it is now."

Lucas couldn't help but feel grateful that her mood seemed more relaxed as they continued to enjoy their playfulness as well as the scenery before them. Finally, placing his hand on her cheek he asked;

"Do you feel like you're ready to go now?"

A relaxed smile on her face as she sat up to kiss him she offered;

"Yes, thank you. I really did need this."

Pushing her hair over her shoulder, he smiled tenderly as he returned the kiss;

"You're more than welcome, sweetheart."

Once they arrived back at Dara's house they realized that they would once more be thrust into a fury of preparations. However, instead of it being sorrow over Gwenna's funeral, it was joy over Dara's wedding. Dara couldn't help but feel infinitely grateful to Lucas for his thoughtfulness at giving her a chance to stop and relax and simply allow the world to pass by, if only for a short time. She now felt better able to deal with the details that were, previously,beginning to weigh her down; all thanks to her future husband.

As they pulled into the driveway, Lucas noted that Caleb was passing around the corner of the house, a fishing pole clutched firmly in his hand. Shaking his head, Lucas observed;

"Well, at least we'll know where to look for Caleb when we can't find him."

Her mood considerably lightened, Dara smiled;

"I don't mind."

As they were walking towards the front steps, both heard the distinct splash of water and a scream. Turning to each other, the fear evident in their eyes as both shared the same thought; one of the children had fallen into the river. Sprinting around to the back of the house they found themselves stopped short as they reached the pier and the sight before them; Kara was standing in the middle of the water, soaking wet and raving;

"MARA DANIELLE! SO HELP ME, JUST AS SOON AS I GET OUT OF THIS WATER I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!"

Standing at the end of the pier, her hands covering her mouth in shock as well as trying to contain her laughter, Mara vowed;

"I promise, Kara, I swear that it was an accident."

The suspicion evident in her eyes as she pushed her hair form her face, Kara quipped;

"Oh yeah, I'm sure it was."

Catching sight of Dara and Lucas, Kara asked sarcastically;

"I supposed that the two of you think that it was an accident too, huh?"

Seeing the mischief in Dara's eyes, Lucas had a fairly accurate idea as to what she was planning as she stood next to her eldest sister to address Kara;

"Of course I do, Kara. I mean if Mara had intended to push you into the water then she would have done this."

With that, Dara placed her hands on her sister's back and shoved her into the water to land next to Kara. As Mara surfaced, blowing water out of her face as well as pushing her hair away from her eyes, it was to find Dara, Lucas and Kara laughing as she admonished;

"Dara, that was a dirty trick."

Bending to brace her hands on her knees, Dara couldn't help but offer an amused grin as she quipped;

"Yes, but it was definitely funny."

Before she could react, both Mara and Kara had grabbed an arm as they yelled;

"Oh yeah, well so is this."

With that they catapulted Dara into the water beside them. Lucas couldn't help but laugh as he walked to the end of the pier as she surfaced to push the hair away from her face as she muttered;

"THAT, was definitely uncalled for."

All three women couldn't help but notice Lucas' laughter as well as the smug smile on his face as he stood on the end of the pier. Glancing to each other, they silently agreed to their next course of action. Approaching him with her arm outstretched, Dara demanded;

"Aren't you going to help your wife to be out of the water?"

Unable to keep from shaking his head in amusement, Lucas extended his hand to pull her out when Mara and Kara both grabbed his other arm and helped Dara pull him in with them. Having heard the commotion, Lucilla ventured down to the end of the pier to see what was taking place. As Lucas surfaced it was to find his grandmother standing on the pier with her hands on her hips as she admonished;

"Boy, I thought that I taught you better than that; if you're going swimming then do it with some trunks, not fully dressed."

Shaking her head as she chastised the adults, Lucilla observed;

"You four had better be glad that it's as warm as it is, especially considering that it's January. Otherwise, you'd all have pneumonia."

With that, she turned and headed back to the house as Lucas turned and looked at Dara, one eyebrow raised. Seeing the look on his face, Dara's eyes widened, fearful that he was truly angry with her. Despite himself, his face broke into an amused grin as he pulled her against him to state;

"Good one, darlin. I'm glad that I at least took off my jacket and vest."

Giggling as she splashed him, Dara turned and followed her sisters to find dry clothes. Waiting for them at the back door with towels and bathrobes, Lucas admonished them sternly;

"I swear, I don't know that's gotten into you four; swimming with your clothes on and in front of the children too. Now what kind of example is that?"

Once everyone was, once again, dry, Lucilla began putting the evening meal on the table. Shocked, Dara stated;

"Mama Lucy, you didn't have to do this, although I do appreciate it."

Shrugging nonchalantly, the elder observed;

"It;s nothing fancy and I didn't mind. Besides that, I think that you all needed a good laugh earlier."

Jacob, Kara's son, voice his frustration with the adults as he demanded;

"Mama, why won't you let me swim with my clothes on? You all did; that's not fair."

Everyone couldn't help but laugh at the child's statement, something that found the mood in the house lightening considerably from the pall of the last couple of days.

Lucas couldn't help but be amazed at how the three sisters managed to put the sadness over their mother's passing behind them to begin preparing for the joy of his and Dara's wedding. He quickly realized that Mara was a very detailed person as she began rattling off the list of things that were completed and had yet to be completed;

""Let's see, we have the dresses, so what about the flowers and the license?"

Dara explained;

"Lucas has already taken care of the flowers and the cake and we got our license the day before yesterday, so all that we need to do now is to get married."

Once everything had been cleared away and everyone was relaxing, Lucas broached the subject that he had been dreading;

"Honey, have you given any thought at to what you're going to want to move to our house and what you're going to want to leave?"

Glancing around the house, Dara realized that this was an aspect that she hadn't considered beforehand. Although Lucas' house was a large one, she knew that she wouldn't be able to take everything with her. Finally, sighing in resignation, she shrugged;

"Well, I guess that we can just take it as it comes. Mara and Kara are welcome to any of Mama's things that they want and the furniture can be given away or sold. I would like to keep my piano, Mama's bed and rocking chairs and a few other things."

Lucas could see that worrying over such a material aspect wasn't something that she was in the mood for, so to that end he nodded as he considered;

"We can figure all of that out later on."

Once everyone had said their good nights, Lucas approached Dara as he offered;

"Would you like to ride with me to take, Mama Lucy and Caleb back to the house?"

Smiling as she nodded, she eagerly accepted his invitation;

"Yes I would, very much so."

Handing her keys to Lucas, they proceeded to her car. After they had dropped Lucilla and Caleb at his house, Lucas had decided to drive around for a little while to give Dara some breathing space. He could see that the calm of the night was having a relaxing effect on her as the tension seemed to ebb away as he broke the silence;

"Just one more day and then we'll be married. Are you nervous?"

Shaking her head as she turned to him she admitted;

"No, not like I thought I would be. I just wonder what life is going to be like as your wife, that's all."

Reaching across the space Lucas took her hand and brought it to his lips as he gently kissed her palm before vowing;

"It's going to be as wonderful as I can make it for you; I promise."

Dara couldn't help but smile in the darkness as she released her seat belt to sit closer to him as she sighed in contentment;

"I believe you."

Determined to ensure that their youngest sister's day was as special as possible, the next day found everyone in a flurry of activity. Both women had determined, by their observations of the couple, that once their sister married this man it would be for life. Finally, after several hours of decorating and cooking for the wedding, something that was helped considerably by the contributions donated by Mrs. Adams and Loris Crower, Dara and Mara were content to relax on the porch swing as they awaited their middle sister's return from her errand to buy film.

Arriving in time to find them relaxing in the cool air of January, Lucas had been busy himself attending to a few last minute details himself. Halting the swaying motion of the swing as he bent down to place a kiss on Dara's upturned smiling mouth he quipped;

"I knew that there was something that I was missing all day; that was it."

Seeing the tired looks on both women's faces, he asked;

"Tired girls? This house definitely looks as though you've worked on it all day."

Jerking her thumb towards her eldest sister, Dara offered sarcastically;

"Blame her, I wanted to quit hours ago, but Mara wasn't satisfied until everything that would stand still had bunting draped around it or over it."

Feigning a look of hurt, Mara placed her hand over her heart as she exaggerated;

"Well now that just hurts. It isn't everyday that my baby sister gets married. I just wanted it to be memorable, that's all. By the way, I'll be rude enough to ask; where are you two going for your honeymoon."

Her own curiosity peaked, Dara glanced up at Lucas; she hadn't considered the possibility of a honeymoon, not with everything that had taken place in such a short time. Lucas was easily able to discern the look that Dara was wearing; he knew that she wasn't expecting any sort of a formal honeymoon, but he had stubbornly stood by his plan that they would, at least, have a memorable wedding night. However, with her house full of her family and his occupied by Lucilla and Caleb, he knew that would mean that they needed a place all to their selves; to that end, that was the last detail that he had dealt with that morning. Reaching into his pocket he produced a set of keys and dropped them into Dara's hands.

Curiosity filling her eyes as well as puzzlement, she asked;

"What are these, my set to the house?"

Shaking his head, Lucas smiled;

"No, actually they're a set of keys to a small cabin near where I took you yesterday. I thought that we could go there for our wedding night; how do you like the idea?"

Yelping in surprise and happiness, Dara launched herself from the swing into his arms as she kissed him soundly. Lucas couldn't help but hold her tightly as he laughed;

"So I'm guessing that you like the idea then?"

Nodding enthusiastically as she hugged him, Dara corrected;

"No, I don't like the idea; I LOVE the idea."

At that moment, Kara pulled into the driveway and stepped onto the porch grumbling;

"I'm telling you that if we forgot anything, one of you are going to go back for it, because I won't"

Catching sight of her future brother in law, she changed her attitude and tone, becoming more amiable;

"Hi, Lucas, how was your day?"

Offering a smile, having found humor at her chatter and feigned show of temper, he suggested;

"Well, apparently not as productive as yours was, but I did try. By the way, how about pizza for supper tonight, my treat; you three look like you're wiped out."

The relief at having been relieved from the chore of cooking obvious on their faces, all three women nodded eagerly as Dara got up to go phone the order in.

Once the evening meal had been finished and everyone had settled down for the evening with the exception of Lucas and Dara. They were seated on the porch swing, with Lucas' one leg stretched across the back of the seat and the other dragging on the porch with Dara reclining against his chest; both were enjoying, not only the each other's company, but the sounds of the night as well. Lucas realized that the hand that he had draped across the back of the swing had begun to tease the loose tendrils of her hair as he ventured;

"Just think, by this time tomorrow you're going to be Mrs. Lucas Buck. Are you nervous?"

Shrugging her shoulders in uncertainty, she confessed;

"I am a little. It seems that the closer we get, the more nervous that I seem to get. By the way did you remember to pick up our wedding rings?"

Dara had readily agreed to allow Lucas to handle the details of picking up their wedding rings, having only concerned herself with the inscription that she wanted engraved inside of his ring. Pulling a small velvet box from his pocket, much like the one that her engagement ring had come in, Lucas opened it to show her the contents. She could only gasp in shocked pleasure when she saw the ring. It resembled two intertwining ropes made of diamonds. Lifting the ring from it's velvet nest, Lucas handed it to her as he instructed;

"Read what it says."

Lifting the ring to allow the light pouring form the living room windows to shine on the metal to illuminate the words, she recited;

"To my wife, Dara. All of my love for eternity and beyond, love Lucas."

The tears gleaming in her eyes at the thoughtfulness that he continued to lavish on her, she looked at him as she exclaimed;

"It's beautiful, thank you."

Leaning forward to kiss her gently before pulling away, Lucas turned serious as he explained;

"I meant what it says, Dara. That's why I picked that ring out; I intend for us to be with each other through eternity, just like that band intertwines itself around for eternity I intend for our lives to be the same way. So if you have any doubts, you need to tell me before tomorrow, because once you're my wife there won't be any way that I would ever let you go."

Dara contemplated the seriousness of his statement as she studied the intense look in his eyes. Not only had she considered the knowledge that she had of him as well as all of the innuendos and comments whispered behind her back but also the things and actions that she had seen for herself and knew, without a doubt, to be true. Yet, when she looked at Lucas, REALLY looked at him, the only things that she could focus on that truly mattered to her was the loving, devoted and caring side that he had always shown to her. She knew that there was a darker side and had seen it for herself, but she also knew that it was worth weathering the darker side to back in the warmth of his better side.

Lucas realized that he had sat waiting for her response with baited breath when he released a relieved sigh as she shook her head before vowing emphatically;

"No, I don't have any doubts. I know that you have a much darker side, but I still love you and that means acceptance and tolerance; to a point."

Pulling her back against him as he wrapped his arms tightly around her, he lowered his head to meet her upturned mouth in a kiss of unadulterated love; neither of them making or expecting any demands from the other. Lifting his head to smile ruefully, he stated;

"As much as I don't want to go, if we're going to follow your family's tradition, I had better leave."

Dara merely nodded; she didn't particularly want him to go either, but her family was strict on the issue of not seeing the bride before the wedding, that being the case, Lucas would be sleeping in his own bed that night. After he had left, she entered her house, feeling as though she were floating on a cloud as she drifted off to sleep.

Once Lucas had reached his own home he found both Caleb and Lucilla sound asleep. Deciding to prowl his domain for a short time to wind down, he finally made his way to his room and his bed. Laying down, he stretched his hand over to smooth the sheets on, what would be, Dara's side of the bed as he gave voice to his thoughts;

"Only one more night and then I'll have her beside me for the rest of my life."

That thought firmly in his mind, he found that he was finally able to drift off to sleep.

Lucas found himself being shaken from sleep as Caleb came bounding into his room to land at the foot of his bed as he demanded brightly;

"WAKE UP! Don't you want to get married today?"

Although he most definitely wanted to exchange wedding vows, he couldn't help but glance in reproach at his son for his rude interruption of a very stimulating dream involving Dara as he groaned;

"What time is it?"

Snatching he father's robe from the end of the bed, Caleb offered;

"It's ten, you had better hurry up; we're supposed to be there by about one. Mama Lucy made you some breakfast and she said to tell you that your suit is on the hook in the closet, all cleaned and waiting."

Lucas finished securing the belt of his robe before following Caleb downstairs as he asked;

"How about your own suit?"

Nodding, Caleb answered brightly;

"We took care of that yesterday."

Entering the kitchen, Lucas kissed his grandmother on the cheek before gratefully accepting the cup of coffee that she offered him before placing a full plate on the table in front of him. Once she was satisfied when he began eating she came to her point;

"Lucas, after you two leave this afternoon I'm going to head back home. You've done your part so you don't need my interference, all there is to do now is to just sit back and let nature take its course."

Casting a wary glance at his grandmother, Lucas shook his head as he emphasized;

"I meant what I said, Mama,"

Looking over his shoulder to ensure that Caleb wasn't withing hearing distance, he lowered his voice before reiterating;

"I don't intend to do anything more than what every other man does to get his wife pregnant. I promised her that whatever children we have will be God's will and I'm keeping my word to her."

Giving her grandson a withering look of agitation, Lucilla fussed;

"I know that, boy. But, I also know the way that you two look at each other and I don't think that it will be very long before you're calling me to tell me that you're going to be a daddy again."

Lucas couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm as he shook his head before finishing his breakfast; heading to his room, he quickly showered and dressed. Once he was finished dressing and making certain that his appearance was satisfactory, Caleb opened the door to ask excitedly;

"Are you ready? It's already twelve thirty."

Motioning towards the bag that he had placed at the foot of his bed earlier, Lucas asked;

"All ready; how about putting that in the car for me, son. By the way, you look nice."

Grinning at the compliment, the boy eagerly grabbed the bad before hurrying down the staircase and out the door to fulfill his father's request. Following behind his son, Lucas offered his grandmother his arm when he reached the bottom of the staircase as he asked;

"Are you ready, Mama?"

Nodding, a contented smile on her face as she realized that she had never seen her grandson seem quite so happy before, she slipped her arm through his and allowed him to escort her to the car.

Although Lucas had had a, relatively, easy time preparing for his wedding, Dara wasn't having quite as much luck in that department. Unlike Lucas, who had to only contend with the presence of two other people in his house, Dara had three adults and three children to work around. Even with being the first one to get a chance at the bathroom and the added convenience of more than one bathroom, there were still constant interruptions to deal with.

Finally, twenty minutes after the judge that Lucas had asked to perform the ceremony had arrived, she was ready to step into her dress and fasten her veil in her hair. Both Mara and Kara had assisted her with the task of dressing, just as they had with her hair and makeup. Once they were certain the the dress was securely fastened and the veil was secure in place, they stood back to admire their younger sister, both with tears in their eyes at the sight of her. The first to regain her ability to speak was Kara as she gave voice to the, before, unspoken thought that all three were sharing;

"I wish that Mama was here to see you; you make a beautiful bride."

Mara could only nod her agreement with the statement as she studied the dress. It was along the lines of something from Gone With the Wind; it was ivory colored with matching antique lace. The bodice had a rounded neckline that was adorned with a ruffle of antique lace embroidered with pearls and crystals. The short full sleeves ended at her elbows with a fall of antique lace at their hems, which fell midway to her wrists. The skirt was a full, small hoop skirt with the same lace at the hem and her veil was a simple pearl and bead crown that had a fall of the same lace that ended at Dara's waist.

Mara had arranged her hair; pulling it up to the top and then fastening it to let the curls cascade over each other down her back. Studying her reflection in the mirror, Dara reluctantly agreed with her sisters opinions; she hadn't even hoped that she could look this good on her wedding day. A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts as Brittany entered the room;

"Aunt Dara, Lucas is here and Granddaddy asked me to take a picture of the three of you, so get together and smile."

Focusing her camera, the girl waited until her aunts and mother complied before snapping the photo. Sighing wishfully at the sight of her aunt, Brittany expressed her opinion;

"You sure do look pretty, I hope that I look that good when I get married."

Her head snapping quickly at the girl's comment, Kara admonished;

"You just started dating young lady, so don't start planning your wedding just yet."

Dara and Mara couldn't help but glance at each other before they began laughing at their sister's words. Placing her arm around Kara's shoulders, Dara offered;

"I wouldn't worry about it too much, Kara. I'm sure she'll wait a little while."

Another knock preceded Alex's entrance as he handed his elder daughters their bouquets. Turning to Dara, he presented her with one that was more elaborate, made form a variety of pink, white and red roses as well as baby's breath and ribbons. Settling his gaze on his youngest child, his eyes grew wistful as he complimented;

"Little Bit, you look absolutely beautiful. Are you ready?"

Dara turned and handed Kara Lucas' wedding ring to hold for her as she nodded and answered her father;

"I'm as ready as I can be, I supposed."

With that she followed her sisters from the room, knowing that she was doing more than making her way to the pier; she was taking the first steps towards what was going to be her new life, as Lucas Buck's wife.

Once everyone had been seated and Lucas and Caleb had joined the judge that Lucas had asked to perform the ceremony, Judge Royce Whitby, at the pier, Lucas found himself anxious as Mara and Kara made their way to take their places as well, knowing that the moment he had hoped for since realizing how he felt for Dara was now within sight. He noticed Kara motioning to Brittany, who was waiting at the piano, which had been moved to the back deck for the ceremony, to begin the music that would signal Dara's appearance.

Alex stood just inside the doorway with his daughter, waiting for their signal when they heard the music begin. Turning to face her, he offered;

"Little Bit, are you sure that you want to go through with this? It's not too late if you want to change your mind, honey."

Considering her father's words for a split second, Dara shook her head emphatically;

"I don't want to change my mind, Daddy. I love Lucas and I want to be his wife and spend my life with him."

Alex had known that, even as he had made the offer, she wouldn't accept it. He couldn't miss seeing the love that passed between his daughter and Lucas, but he also wanted to be sure that she knew he would support whatever decision she made. Satisfied, he escorted his daughter out the door and down the steps towards, what he knew was, her destiny.

Lucas turned towards the doorway to await her appearance, as had everyone else, but when he saw her he held his breath in wonder. He had never considered Dara to be anything less than a beautiful woman, but at the sight of her smiling face, she outshone even his expectations. She had always reminded him of what an angel would look like, if such things existed, but in her wedding gown and veil he had no doubt as to their existence any longer. In his mind, she must surely be an angel that had merely lost her way to heaven and had to contend with mere mortals. Once her father had placed her hand into Lucas' they waited for Judge Whitby to begin the ceremony as he cleared his throat;

"I have to say that, having known Lucas for more years than we care to admit to, I wasn't surprised when he asked me to do him a favor. However, when I learned that the favor was to officiate his wedding, I can't say that I wasn't shocked, to say the least; especially since we had all given him up for a terminal bachelor."

Offering Dara an appreciative glance, he continued;

"However, I think that Lucas was a lot smarter than what we have all given him credit for. He waited until he found that once in a lifetime love that we all hope and pray for, but few are lucky enough to experience."

Dara found herself blushing delicately at the unexpected compliment. She had met Judge Whitby briefly when Lucas had suggested that he officiate their wedding. Feeling that it was unfair to offer the suggestion when she had not made the man's acquaintance, he had taken her to visit the man to introduce them. As it turned out he had come to the bench just before Lucas had joined the Sheriff's Department and had watched and even helped Lucas to become Sheriff. Dara couldn't help but compare the man, somewhat to a cross between her two grandfathers; although he was tall and congenial enough, she could also sense that he had an underlying sternness in his steely blue eyes. Bringing herself back to the present, she found herself locking her gaze with Lucas as the judge began the ceremony.

Lucas listened carefully as Whitby began the ceremony. Although he took it very seriously, he couldn't help but chuckle in amusement when the man asked;

"If there are any of those gathered who can show just cause for objection to this union, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

Despite the seriousness of the ceremony taking place everyone couldn't refrain from chuckling as Caleb quipped under his breath;

"Not if they know what's good for them, they won't."

Lucas had thought that he would be able to contain his amusement until Dara's eyes widened in disbelief before she brought her hand up to cover her mouth as she giggled in amusement. His own shoulders shaking with restrained mirth he turned to his son and could see that the boy was somewhat worried as to how the adults would respond to his outburst, until his father winked good naturedly at him before becoming utterly serious once more as he turned back to Dara. Having regained control of the situation, Whitby quipped;

"I'm going to take that to mean that there are no objections, so we'll continue."

With that he turned to Lucas and recited the vows; when instructed, Lucas spoke his with a calmness and deliberateness that left no doubts as to how seriously he took this ceremony.

"I, Lucas David Buck, take thee, Dara Cherice Chambers, to be my lawfully wedded wife. To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse, till death us do part. And I vow from this day forward to give my troth only onto thee."

Whitby motioned to Caleb, who reached into his pocket and handed the ring to Lucas, grinning and winking at Dara as he did so. Taking the ring, Lucas slid it onto her finger as Whitby asked;

"Lucas, do you take Dara to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Nodding, Lucas vowed;

"I do, with this ring I thee wed."

Turning to Dara, Whitby offered lightheartedly;

"It's your turn, little lady."

Offering the man an amused smile before turning to stare into Lucas' eyes, Dara became serious as she spoke;

"I, Dara Cherice Chambers, take thee, Lucas David Buck, to be my lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse, till death us do part. And I vow from this day forward to give my troth only onto thee."

Turning to Kara as she handed her bouquet to her, she took his ring and slid it onto his finger as Whitby asked;

"Dara, do you take Lucas to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

A smile that could only be described as pure and unadulterated love brightened her features as she vowed;

"I do, with this ring I thee wed."

Lucas thought that he had never heard anything so magical as her soft, floating voice reciting her wedding vows, binding her to him for the rest of their lives and by her choice. However, Whitby's proclamation could definitely be considered a close second;

"By the power vested in me by the state of South Carolina, I now pronounce you husband and wife. What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder."

Smiling broadly at having been the one to perform Lucas' wedding ceremony, he motioned to Dara as he ordered;

"Well, go ahead and kiss your bride."

Taking Dara in his arms, Lucas kissed her deeply until he heard Whitby discreetly clearing his throat, reminding him that they weren't alone. Lucas released his hold on her to take her hand as Whitby announced;

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to present Mr. and Mrs. Lucas Buck."

Everyone present couldn't contain their smiles of joy as they clapped their approval and congratulations. Dara wasn't shocked when Caleb put his arms around her before considering;

"Well, I guess that we're related now, huh?"

Dara couldn't help but ruffle his hair as she asked;

"Do you mind?"

Caleb pursed his lips for a moment as he considered before shaking his head,

"Nah, not since it's you."

With that he ran off to find some amusement with the two younger boys as Lucilla made her way to Dara, determined to hug her new granddaughter in law;

"Well, you did a good job; it took you long enough to find yourself one, but I think that you were smart to wait for this one, boy."

Lucas couldn't help but smile as he pulled Dara into his embrace;

"That's exactly how I feel about it too, Mama."

Brittany approached them as she ventured;

"Aunt Dara, Uncle Lucas, Mama and Aunt Mara want to know if you're ready to cut the cake."

Eagerly, Lucas agreed, knowing that the sooner they did that the sooner they would be able to make their getaway. He never thought that he would have any patience for all of the nonsense that went with a wedding, but he found himself enjoying it because of Dara's enjoyment and because he knew that this would be a day that neither would ever be able to forget. Once they had gone through the tradition of cutting the cake and sharing the first piece, the photographer that Lucas had hired, began taking photos. Although he wanted nothing more than a few photos of Dara by herself and of them together, he knew that she would want to have something to remember the day by. He knew that he would never have a problem remembering the moment he found his life complete.

Noticing that the time was getting away from them, he approached Dara;

"Would you like to change out of your gown, or wear it when we leave?"

Shaking her head as she caught her sisters' attention to join her, she explained;

"No, Kara and Mara are going to pack it away for me. Give me a few minutes while I change."

Half an hour later she emerged, still looking just as beautiful, wearing a teal blue dress. Lucas watched the blush of pleasure creep into her cheeks as he inquired;

"Are you ready, Mrs. Buck?"

Nodding, she bid her family farewell, since they would be gone before she and Lucas returned. After their departure, Loris Crower turned to her husband, shaking her head as she speculated;

"You know, I have the feeling that we may just be seeing a whole lot of changes in that man before too much longer."


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER 17**

They reached the small cabin where they would be spending their first night together as man and wife, just after dusk. Taking the bags inside and starting a fire, Lucas gave Dara a chance to admire the lake under the, now, start studded sky. Once he had accomplished his task, he went in search of his wife; a term that he couldn't deny he found immense pleasure in associating with Dara. He found her admiring the reflection of the stars and moon off of the water's surface as he asked tenderly;

"Honey, are you ready to come inside? I started a fire and there's some champagne chilling; besides, it's gotten awfully cold since the sun's gone down."

Proof of his observation was evidenced by her shivering, although whether it was from her nervousness at what would soon be taking place or the cold in the air, Dara couldn't say for certain. Noticing her shivering, Lucas took his jacket off and placed it around her shoulders as he pulled her against his side and led her back to the cabin. Once they reached the threshold, he swung her up into his arms and carried her inside, setting her down on the bed. Deciding to give her a few minutes to adjust herself to what they were both anticipating, he suggested;

"Darlin, the bathroom is through there if you'd like to take a shower and get more comfortable. I'll pour us a glass of champagne, if you would like."

Complying with his suggestion, Dara grabbed her bag and ventured to the bathroom to change. About twenty minutes later, she emerged, freshly showered with her hair now free, falling down her back. She was wearing a silk nightgown that fell to her ankles in a full skirt the color of the clear seas, with a matching sheer robe the same hue as the gown, which had a plunging v-neckline that revealed a good portion of her cleavage. Lucas could only stare at her, speechless, with his breath caught in his throat. Recovering quickly, he handed her a glass of champagne.

Taking a sip, Dara smiled timidly as she started to speak;

"Lucas, there's something that we should have discussed before tonight. I just wasn't certain as to how to best approach the subject and although you may not believe it..."

Taking her glass from her hand, Lucas placed it along with his own on the nearby table before putting his finger to her lips to silence her. Kissing her gently before gazing into her eyes, he offered;

"I already know what you're about to say."

Shocked, Dara stared at him, wide eyed;

"How? We never discussed it."

Lucas shook his head as he offered her a benevolent smile;

"I just had the feeling that you were."

Placing his arms around her and pulling her against his chest, he vowed to her;

"Don't be afraid, I promise, I won't hurt you. We'll ease our way into it; alright?"

Seeing the apprehension in her eyes, Lucas placed his finger under her chin to bring her eyes up to meet his as he ventured;

"Trust me, darlin. I promise that once you understand it better, you'll come to enjoy the art of making love. Do you trust me?"

Nodding her acceptance of his statement, Dara couldn't help the apprehension that filled her voice;

"Yes, but I'm afraid that you'll be disappointed in me."

Shaking his head, Lucas vowed;

"I promise you, sweetheart; THAT could never happen."

Capturing her gaze, he kissed her gently, then, began deepening the kiss by degrees as he felt her enjoyment as well as his own until he felt her meeting his responses with her own. Lifting his head to study her reaction, he could see that the apprehension in her eyes had been replaced with desire. Placing his hand along her cheek, he inquired;

"Do you want me to stop."

Shaking he head as she swallowed hard, Dara offered softly;

"No, I trust you."

Rising from the sofa with her in his arms, Lucas crossed the room to the bed where he laid her gently in the middle as he began undressing, continuing to watch her reaction. Dara wasn't certain as to what was affecting her more, the champagne or Lucas' touch, but she had never felt so relaxed in her life. She felt as though she were floating as she watched Lucas remove his clothes and stand before her. On impulse, she held her arms open towards him in invitation.

Lucas continued studying his wife's responses to the new feelings and emotions that he was initiating in her. He had been certain that she would be shocked when he was completely unclothed, he had never expected her to extend the open invitation of her arms to him. Climbing into the bed next to her, he began stroking her hair away from her face as he watched, fascinated, as she closed her eyes in ecstasy, savoring the feel of his touch. Tracing light patterns with his fingers, he ran feather light touches against her lips, throat and up and down her arms. He couldn't help but feel empowered by her responses to him as he nibbled at her neck and throat before slowly unfastening her gown.

Rising to his knees, he pulled Dara to a sitting position, noticing the look of desire and ecstasy in her eyes as he continued tracing the patterns on her throat and neck as he slid the fabric of her gown down her arms, away from her body. Taking a moment to sit back and take in the sight of her, he couldn't help but state;

"Beautiful."

Gently, he pushed her back against the pillows as he began tracing the same patterns over the length of her body with his mouth and tongue. He couldn't help but notice the way that her hands were clutching at the bedclothes as she arched in sharp pleasure. Raising himself up on his knees, he took her hands and placed them on his broad chest as he looked into her eyes;

"I belong to you, as much as you belong to me; every inch. You have no reason to feel shame for touching what is yours."

He knew that she understood his words as he once again continued the path he had begun earlier; this time, with Dara, timidly at first, then more feverishly, running her hands across his chest, then eventually over the rest of his body. Realizing that she was as fully involved in their lovemaking as he was, Lucas began sliding down her body with his mouth, but when he ventured past her waist, Dara sat up and looked at him in uncertainty. Understanding her trepidation, he looked her in the eyes as he gently placed his hand on her shoulder to push her back against the pillows as he sought to soothe her concern;

"It's alright, darlin; we're married, remember? Just trust me, alright?"

Nodding her agreement, she relaxed considerably at his words. Slowly, so as not to cause her any undue pain, Lucas began, carefully, tracing a light pattern with his fingers to get her accustomed to the intrusion of her body. Once he was satisfied that she was enjoying the sensations that he was arousing in her, he began tracing those same patterns with his tongue and mouth. Dara couldn't help but arch at the unexpected sharp pleasure that he was arousing within her.

Once he was satisfied that she was ready, Lucas poised himself above her and looked deep into her eyes;

"Dara, baby, you and I both know that this will be unpleasant for you; this time. I swear that after this, it will never hurt again, but if you want me to, I'll stop now. What do you want me to do?"

Lifting her arms to wrap them around his neck, Dara pulled his head down to kiss him before replying;

"I trust you; I know that you would never hurt me intentionally. It's alright, go ahead."

Placing a kiss on her mouth, he whispered;

"I love you and I promise that I'll go slow."

Carefully, he began gently easing his way inside of her, watching her face carefully for any sign of pain. Stroking her hair, Lucas soothed;

"It's alright, Sweetheart. I promise, just a little more, alright?"

Remaining silent, Dara nodded, determined not to give way to the fact that the act was causing her more pain than what Lucas was aware of. This, however, she knew was simply a part of life and had to happen.

Meeting the proof of her virginity, Lucas placed his hand along her cheek to bring her eyes up to meet his gaze as he ventured;

"Darlin, this is going to be the worst part, alright? I'm not going to lie to you and say that it won't be painful, but it will only hurt for a minute or two. If you want me to, I'll stop now."

Shaking her head vigorously as she locked her arms around his neck, she held him close to her. Hating that it had to be painful for her, Lucas braced himself and slowly preceded to penetrate the barrier. As he felt himself push through, he pulled Dara close to him as he heard her whimper of pain. Still within her, he demanded;

"Honey, are you alright; do you want me to stop?"

Managing a shaky smile, Dara offered;

"It's alright, I knew that it would hurt. I'm sure that every woman feels the same way at the beginning. You don't have to stop."

Feeling the love that he had for her welling inside of himself, Lucas kissed her gently. He knew that what she said was true, but he also knew what she didn't; that although every woman might feel pain at the loss of their virginity, hers' was more acute because he wasn't proportioned like every other man. Capturing her eyes with his, he asked softly;

"Are you sure that you want me to go on?"

Placing her hand along his cheek, she nodded her agreement as Lucas began moving inside of her as he took possession of her breasts with his mouth. When he began to feel the heat rising within him, he pulled her hips closer to his and guided her movements to meet his own. He heard Dara's cries of delight through his own haze of pleasure as he felt himself overflowing all of the boundaries of pleasure that he had ever known before. In the aftermath of their lovemaking, Lucas held her close as he raised his head to smile at her;

"See, I told you that there was no way that you could ever disappoint me."

Blushing at the compliment, Dara moved to turn over and winced in pain. Noticing the action, Lucas cupped her face as he demanded, the concern evident in his voice;

"Are you sure that you're alright?

He couldn't help but notice the hesitancy as she nodded. Lucas, not satisfied that she was telling the truth, turned the bedside lamp on before turning back towards her. He could understand why she moved so cautiously; her upper thighs were not only stained with the last vestiges of her virginity, but they were also covered with several bruises around the same areas as well. Shaking his head in horror at the realization that he had done this to her, he ground out;

"Damn, Dara; I'm so sorry, baby. I didn't realize that I had hurt you THIS badly."

Dara took his face in her hands as she shook her head;

"You didn't hurt me that badly, we both knew what the first time would be like. Please don't be sorry, I'm not."

Offering him a seductive smile she ventured;

"Maybe you can give me another lesson in a little while."

Pulling her into his arms, Lucas asked;

"Do you have any idea just how much I love you, Dara Buck?"

Smiling at him tenderly, she surmised;

"Hopefully, enough to last us for a lifetime."

Although she had assured him that she would be fine and amid her protests, Lucas had insisted on running a hot bath for her and carrying her into the bathroom to settle her in the tub. Once she had dried herself off, they decided that it was time to settle down for the rest of the night as Lucas made certain that the fire had enough wood to last through the night. After banking the embers, Lucas made certain that Dara was tucked in as he climbed into bed beside her and pulled her close to him as he whispered in her ear;

"Goodnight, love, sweet dreams."

On the verge of slumber, Dara mumbled sleepily;

"Um, love you too."

Then, feeling secure in her husband's embrace, she drifted down further into slumber.

Lucas awoke to the sunlight pouring in through the windows, he glanced down at the woman still sleeping, snuggled close, beside him. He couldn't help but smile at the memories of the night before. Most women would have been reluctant at even the suggestion of being intimate, especially after the bruises and pain that he knew she had suffered. But not Dara, she just accepted that it was a part of the process of making love and not only didn't suggest discontinuing their efforts, but wanted his assurance that there would be more nights to come.

Gently, he kissed her lips and felt them turn up at the corners into a smile as he watched her open her eyes to look into his. Winding a strand of her long hair around his finger, he greeted;

"Good morning, Mrs. Buck."

Blushing with pleasure as she stretched, she then rolled towards him as she wrapped both arms around his neck to reply;

"Good morning, what would you like for breakfast?"

Kissing the tip of her nose, Lucas looked into her eyes with a leering grin as he challenged;

"Take a guess."

Laughing at his play as she rested her head against his chest she ventured;

"Oh, I think that we can definitely arrange that."

Once they were both satisfied with, not only love, but food as well, Lucas asked as he finished packing their bags;

"I know that you're probably not, but are you ready to go?"

Glancing about the room they had shared their first night as husband and wife, Dara sighed forlornly as she nodded. Placing his arm around her shoulders, Lucas offered;

"Don't worry, darlin; we own this, so we can come up here anytime that we want to."

Smiling as she shook her head, Dara muttered;

"I should have known."

When they reached the town limits, Dara glanced at Lucas in astonishment; he had passed by the turn off for her house and headed straight in the direction of what was now their home. Shocked, she demanded;

"Why aren't you stopping at the house? I have a lot of packing and such that I have to do before I can even think about going back to work next week."

His gaze remaining focused on the road in front of them, Lucas simply stated;

"Just trust me."

Once they pulled into the driveway, Lucas came around and opened her door for her before sweeping her into his arms to carry her across the threshold of their home. When they entered the house, Dara exclaimed;

"How did you get this done?"

The living room now held her piano as well as the two rocking chairs that she cherished. She noticed the stacks of boxes of her belongings lines neatly against one wall. Grinning broadly, Lucas pulled her up the staircase to, what was now, their bedroom to open the door to the large walk in closet. Glancing around she could see that all of her clothes and accessories were organized the way that she kept them as well as the dresser now filled with, not only Lucas' things, but hers' as well.

Puzzled, she demanded;

"How did you do this?"

Shrugging, he explained;

"I just dropped the hint that this was the best wedding present and your family took care of the rest. I thought that you could tackle what's already here, then if there are other things then you can deal with them later."

Wrapping her arms around him, Dara kissed him deeply as she offered;

"Thank you."

Settling into her new routine as Lucas' wife was much easier than what Dara had anticipated and thankfully with less fuss and in a much shorter time than she had originally assumed would be needed. Two weeks after their wedding found Dara, not only having settled everything with her house as well as all of the unpacking complete, but she also returned to work, counseling. Matt offered his opinion that, if anything, he felt that she was now more in tuned with her patients' losses and feelings, having dealt with the grief process first hand.

Caleb began his sessions once more, but their time together seemed to be more of a bonding time than that of counseling. Aside from their time spent in their sessions together, Dara found herself delighted that the boy began spending more and more time with she and Lucas at home as well; something that found Lucas shocked as it met with the approval of both Loris and Matt Crower. Although he attributed the latter fact to Dara's presence in the equation, he still felt infinitely grateful for the time that he got to spend with both his wife and son.

No one could deny that Dara seemed to be blossoming through her marriage; she went home each night to tend to the needs of Lucas and, most of the time, Caleb as well. At the end of each day she would lay in Lucas' arms and receive the proof of his love for her as he fulfilled the promises that he had made to her on their wedding night by teaching her the joys of making love. Yet, despite their dedication to practicing the act of making love, Lucas, no more than Dara, seemed to tire of the act; instead, he seemed to find some new mystery to her that found him more eager to enjoy the intimacy that he and his wife shared then he was the time before.

A couple of months into her marriage, Dara sat at her desk, going over some paperwork when she felt someone watching her from her open doorway. Glancing up she found herself shocked to see Selena Coombs standing in the doorway. Not feeling in the mood for a cat fight, Dara's tone turned acidic as she demanded;

"Is there something that I can help you with, Ms. Coombs?"

Taking the inquiry as her invitation to enter, Selena sauntered in as she placed herself in a chair in front of Dara's desk. Raising an eyebrow in astonishment at the woman's audacity, she offered sarcastically;

"Please, feel free to sit down."

Glancing around the woman's office, Selena hated to admit it but, she couldn't deny that Dara certainly had good taste. Noticing a photo on the corner of Dara's desk, she picked it up to study the image; a look of disdain crossed her features. The photo was one taken when Dara and Lucas were married, Selena couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy as she noticed that, in the photo, Lucas had his arms wrapped possessively around his wife's waist as well as the smiles that both were wearing as the photographer had captured the enraptured looks each wore as they appeared lost in each other's eyes and embraces.

Placing the photo back in it's place, Selena offered caustically;

"I suppose that it's true what they say; every woman looks beautiful on her wedding day."

Not backing down from the woman's obvious challenge, Dara replied;

"Yes, they do. Especially if they truly love the man that they're marrying as much as the man loves them."

Tiring of Selena's cat and mouse games, especially as she noticed the daggers that she was glaring at her as she realized the truth of her statement, and not wishing to participate in a tete-a-tete with the woman, Dara came to the point;

"Ms. Coombs, what is it that you want to discuss? I'm fairly certain that you didn't come to discuss my wedding or my marriage so please appease my curiosity and tell me what it is so that I can get back to work."

Selena couldn't help but blink in shock at the straightforward way that the woman approached her. She was used to playing tit for tat, but seeing that this woman didn't engage in those sorts of games she decided to come to the point of her visit as she explained;

"Matt Crower told me about the support program that you're trying to organize for the children in Trinity. I wanted to ask you about it."

Dara considered Selena's inquiry; she had asked Matt to help her get people involved in her project. The more support that she had the better her chances, but she just didn't think that Selena Coombs was the civic duty type. However, she was a teacher and knowing that being honest was the best policy, she replied;

"Yes, I am. I believe in this program and I feel that if the kids around here were to have some place that they can feel comfortable and not ashamed to ask for help or advice that it would be a great benefit. I have to wonder though; why are you asking? You don't strike me as a very civic minded person, Ms. Coombs, not to mention I know that I'm not exactly your favorite person in the world."

The look of disdain on Selena's face was replaced by one of honesty and sincerity as she offered;

"Look, I know that I gave you and Lucas a hard time over your marriage, but I do care about my kids. That's the one untarnished thing that I have in my life. I might resent that you're Mrs. Lucas Buck, but I do admire your gift with the kids. Anything that will help the kids around here; I'm all for it and I promise that I'll do anything I can to help encourage it. As far as your marriage goes; I wont be interfering. Lucas had made his preference quite clear, so there isn't any point in the games."

Searching the woman's face for sincerity of her intentions, Dara couldn't deny the truth of her statement as she finally nodded her consent;

"Alright, and by the way, my name is Dara. I could definitely use the help of a teacher; you can help me to get through to the school board. I've been trying, but they keep telling me that there aren't any funds to help start the program."

Mulling over her statement, Selena considered Matt's description of the woman in front of her as she realized that he had been right; there was just something about her that made you instinctively like her; no wonder Lucas had fallen in love with her. Nodding, Selena acknowledged;

"Alright, Dara, and I'm Selena. The school board is right, there aren't any funds available. What you're going to need to do is to get in touch with the mayor and see about getting some funding from their budget under child welfare."

Shrugging, Dara nodded;

"I'm in the process of trying to get a meeting with the mayor now to discuss that very thing."

Glancing at her watch and realizing how late that it had gotten, Selena stood and extended her hand as she confessed;

"I'm glad that we had this talk and I'll try to work on the other teachers too. If you think of anything else that I can do to help, please let me know."

Returning the smile as she rose to accept Selena's hand, she offered;

"Thank you, Selena."

Just as Selena turned to leave, Lucas entered Dara's office. Walking past him, she offered a curt;

"Hello, Sheriff."

Waiting until she had left, Lucas pushed the door to as he turned to demand;

"What was she doing here?"

Holding her hands up in a placating manner, Dara advised;

"Calm down, we were discussing the new program that I was telling you about for the kids. She's working on the educational end of it, don't worry; we discussed our little conflict and she admitted that she knows that she has no chance at you."

Walking around her desk to wrap her arms around him, she ventured;

"At least not since we got married."

Unable to resist smiling at her playful mood, Lucas lowered his head to receive a kiss as he offered;

"I thought that I'd come by and offer to take my wife out for dinner, so how about it."

Agreeing to his suggestion, she nodded;

"Just as soon as I make this call, okay?"

Sitting on the corner of her desk as she sat in her chair, Lucas watched as she picked up her phone and began dialing a number that he found very familiar. Puzzled, he demanded;

"Darlin, why are you calling the mayor?"

Staring at him in shock, Dara couldn't believe that he wouldn't have already realized that she would need to involve the mayor in her program, if for no other reason than how far his approval would expedite matters in getting her program started;

"Sweetheart, I have to try and get an appointment to see him about help for my program."

With that she focused her attention on the party on the other end of the line;

"Hello? Yes, I was calling to speak with Mayor Johnston. Yes, I'm aware that he is a busy man, but I've been attempting to speak with him for the last six months. No, that's the problem, he hasn't returned any of my calls. Yes, I'm quite certain he hasn't. It's regarding the children's crisis program. My name? I've given you my name so many times that you should know it better than I do at this point. What? Yes, I'll hold."

Seeing the look of frustration his wife was wearing, Lucas couldn't help but be puzzled. He knew Jake Johnston rather well and he couldn't imagine the man giving her a hard time unless he wasn't aware that she was Lucas Buck's wife. That thought in mind, he asked;

"When was the last time that you called?"

Shrugging as she tried to remember, Dara speculated;

"I'm not sure exactly, but I would guess sometime last week; why?"

Furrowing his gaze in contemplation, Lucas wondered;

"What name are you giving them?"

Giving him a strange look, Dara scoffed;

"Why mine of course, silly. Who else's name would I give them?"

Shaking his head, Lucas clarified;

"No, I mean are you giving them Chambers or Buck?"

Considering his query, Dara admitted;

"Well, I've been giving them Chambers. As long as it's taken me to get this far I was worried that a change would clog the works."

Although he could understand her point, Lucas also knew that she would get much further by using her new name, bearing that thought in mind, he advised her;

"Give them Buck when she gets back on the line; trust me."

She was about to reply when the other party returned as Dara answered;

"Yes, I'm still here holding. My name? Dara Chambers.."

Glancing at Lucas who was nodding his encouragement for her to continue, she stated;

"Buck. Yes, as a matter of fact I do know him. I suppose that you could say that we're related; I'm his wife. He is? Yes, I'll hold."

The shock evident in her eyes, Dara exclaimed;

"I don't believe this, she's putting me through to the mayor."

Hearing the voice that belonged to the person she had been trying to speak with for months on the other end, Dara greeted;

"Yes, thank you for your time, your honor. Yes, I have been attempting to contact you for a while. No, I understand how busy you are. I was hoping to discuss the new program that we're trying to initiate for the children in Trinity. Well, I'm not certain, I'll have to ask my husband about that."

Motioning for her to hand him the phone, Lucas greeted;

"Hi, Jake. Yeah, I don't see why not; Saturday night at eight? I'm sure that we can make it. Say hello to Jane for me. Alright, bye."

Replacing the receiver on the hook, he smiled as he questioned;

"If it will help to promote this project, then I'll definitely make it. Thank you."

Kissing her lightly, he replied;

"You're more than welcome, now, how about some supper tonight? I'm starving."

The dinner with the mayor and his wife went better than what Dara had even hoped for, thanks largely to Lucas' ease with the man. At first, he had guffawed at the idea of a crisis network for children, but when Lucas had pointed out just how much such a program would be able to benefit the children of Trinity, the mayor had eagerly promised to help in acquiring the funds needed, in cooperation with the hospital's backing. The hospital had eagerly seized on Dara's idea and were prepared to offer their full backing, deciding to sponsor some sort of charity event to help raise the remaining funds necessary, putting the preparations and details into Dara's and whoever else's hands she deemed fit to help.

As usual, Dara threw herself wholly into the project; neither she nor Lucas had any way of knowing that the center of their lives was about to be seriously altered.

At first everyone, even Lucas, were under the impression that Dara's behavior and mood swings were due to the added stress that was involved with the responsibility of heading the new children's program; however, it soon became apparent that there was more than just added stress involved. Her normally bright and bubbly personality seemed to have given way to bouts of foul temper which would find her bursting into fits of rage; only to turn away sobbing in apology for her behavior afterwards. Whispers had begun to circulate that Lucas' bride had come to realize her husband's true nature and that she wasn't dealing with the reality of the discovery all that well.

One such person was Matt Crower; ever since he had treated Dara after her attack and her mother until her death, he had come to consider her a good friend and was concerned at her show of crankiness and irritability. Although he didn't necessarily attribute the culprit of her moodiness to her husband or marriage, Matt wasn't willing to completely rule out the possibility that Lucas Buck's veracity where his wife was concerned was less than exemplary. His course of action firmly in mind, Matt dropped by her office; knocking on the door he waited for her to issue a terse;

"Come in,"

Dara glanced up, the agitation at being disturbed apparent on her face until she saw Matt standing in the doorway. Her glare changing to a welcoming smile, she greeted;

"Hi, stranger. What brings you to see me?"

Matt gladly accepted the smile that he had grown so accustomed to, but rarely saw anymore as he offered;

"Well, I thought that I would how you're doing. You know that you have quite a few people cowering in the corner when they see you coming these days."

He couldn't help but notice how the warm smile disappeared as her eyes took on an icy glare as she demanded in an acidic tone;

"What, did they all get together and vote you to be the one to tell me what a bitch I've become?"

Shaking his head at her statement, but refusing to back down from the coldness in her eyes, Matt explained an a neutral tone;

"No, I came because I'm concerned; I don't know what's happened, but the Dara that I know is one of the friendliest, sweetest and most personable people that I know."

Motioning towards her, he emphasized;

"This; is not that person that I know. Now, I know that there's something wrong and I want to help."

Softening the tone in his voice, Matt asked;

"Is there something wrong between you and your husband?"

Although she was continuing to glare at him, he could see that the ice in her eyes was melting as sadness and misery replaced the sadness before she buried her face in her hands and began weeping. Coming around her desk, Matt knelt by her chair as he placed his hand on her shoulder to offer her comfort as he handed her a tissue to dry her tears. Concerned, he offered;

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

Brushing the tears away as she spoke, Dara shook her head;

"It's not Lucas, it's me. Believe it or not, he catches more from me than everyone else does combined, but he never complains or argues. He just let's me rant and rave until I realize what I've done and then he holds me when I start crying; like I'm doing now. Oh Matt, I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm so tired, I never have any energy and this project seems to take all of my time and focus; I can't even eat a decent meal anymore without feeling ill."

Studying her face, Matt noticed the dark circles that had begun to appear under her eyes as well as the weight that she had lost. Making his decision, he stood and pulled her up from her chair; taking her hand in his he pulled her along to follow him out the door. Puzzled, she demanded;

"Where are we going?"

Continuing on his present course, Matt glanced over his shoulder as he replied;

"Where we should have gone when you started feeling like this; to get a check up."

Seeing that she was about to launch a protest, he turned and held his hand up to forestall her words as he rationalized;

"Look, you're due for one soon anyway; it's hospital policy. So let's just go ahead and do it now and see if we can't get you back to normal; okay?"

Sighing in resignation at the realization that he was right, Dara simply nodded as she followed him down the corridor to the examination room.

Once Matt had finished giving her a thorough examination, Dara went back to her office and tried to complete her paperwork. Trying; being the operative word since Matt had taken some blood samples that left Dara feeling queasy and light headed. Glancing up form the papers that she was holding in her hands it was to find Matt standing in her doorway, his face a mask of seriousness, causing Dara's heart to drop as she demanded;

"You found something serious, didn't you?"

Stepping into her office and pushing the door closed before taking a seat in front of her desk, Matt asked;

"Dara, how long have you had these symptoms?"

Biting at her bottom lip in contemplation, Dara considered his question as she tried to recall when her malady had started. Finally, shrugging as she shook her head, she ventured;

"I suppose for about two weeks or so; why? Is it something serious, Matt? Come on, tell me."

Despite his attempts not to, Matt couldn't prevent himself from grinning broadly as he informed her;

"Yes, I would say that it's serious. You; Mrs. Buck, are pregnant. I ran the test myself; twice."

Gasping in shock as her eyes widened, certain that she hadn't heard him correctly, Dara asked;

"I'm what?"

His smile brightening, Matt affirmed his diagnosis;

"You're pregnant. That's why you aren't feeling like yourself; your hormones are going wild right now. Not to mention why you're so tired and nauseous."

His smile fading as he studied her reaction, Matt asked softly;

"It is good news, isn't it?"

Dara leaned back in her chair, allowing the news to fully sink in. She hadn't had any warning that this might have been a possibility, especially since she had never had a reliable cycle, it wasn't unusual for her to be late. The fact was that, having attributed her nerves and stress as the reason, she hadn't considered the possibility that the reason her biological clock was off was because she had conceived a child. Turning to Matt, she explained;

"I just didn't consider this possibility. I mean, we want children, we just never discussed a time frame for them. I just didn't think it would be this soon."

The inner turmoil apparent on her face, Matt rationalized;

"Well, I mean you've been married how long now, five or six months?"

Nodding, she confirmed;

"Yes, as a matter of fact, six months today."

Continuing, Matt observed;

"And I know that it's personal, but from all indications you two appear to be a very loving couple, right?"

He could see by the blush that crept into her cheeks that he was accurate as he shook his head;

"And I know for a fact that you don't use the pill, so hon, this was definitely bound to happen, sooner or later."

Before she could say anything more, a light rapping on her office door preceded Lucas arrival as he opened the door slightly to inquire;

"Mind if I come in?"

Seeing Matt, he asked in concern;

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Casting a silent, pleading look at Matt, who understood her unspoken request, he shook his head as he replied;

"No, actually I was just discussing a patient of mine with you wife. I need to get going on my rounds anyway. Dara, we'll discuss 'her' situation later, alright?"

Giving a small nod of her head, Dara silently agreed as Matt left. Once the door was closed behind Matt, Lucas came around her desk to hand her a dozen roses before bending down to place a kiss on her cheek. Although she couldn't help but marvel at the flowers, she also couldn't help but turn to her husband in puzzlement as she ventured;

"They're beautiful, but why?"

Sitting on the corner of her desk, Lucas offered solemnly;

"To make up for our argument last night; I felt guilty."

Staring at him with a combination of wonder, sadness and tender love in her eyes, she demanded;

"But why? I was the one who was being bitchy, not you."

Placing his hand over hers, he offered;

"I felt guilty because I should have more patience. I know that you're tired and don't feel very well."

The misery showing on her face, she looked up and pleaded;

"Can we please go home? I really don't feel very well right now, and I just want to lay down."

Alarmed by the change in her pallor, Lucas led her to the car and after checking in to let Ben know that he was off duty for the night, headed in the direction of their home.

Realizing that she wasn't well enough to worry with cooking their evening meal, Lucas had decided to attend to it himself, offering Dara the chance to soak in a long, hot bath to relax. Sliding a casserole into the oven, he was about to check on her progress when he caught sight of her in the study, curled in her favorite rocking chair; weeping. Worry furrowing his brow, he approached her as he knelt by her chair, pain tearing at his heart at the sadness that he saw in her eyes as he placed his arms around her and pulled her towards him before pleading;

"Darlin, what is it? Sweetheart, if it's something that I've done just tell me and I'll try and make it right. Honey, just tell me, please."

Pulling back a little so that she could look him in the eyes, she brushed the tears away as she stated shakily;

"It's something that you've done alright, but I'm afraid that you're going to be mad at me for it."

Cupping her face in his hands, he shook his head emphatically before vowing;

"Dara Cherice Chambers Buck, listen to me and listen good. I could never and would never be mad at you and especially not for something that I've done. Now, baby, tell me, what's the matter?"

Laying her head against his chest, she started crying once more, forcing Lucas to strain to make out the words that she had spoken. Still unable to comprehend her statement, he placed his finger beneath her chin to gently bring her eyes up to meet his as he asked her to repeat what she had said. He found himself shocked as she offered timidly;

"I said; I'm pregnant."

Frozen in shock for a moment, unsure that he had heard her correctly, Lucas placed his hands on either side of her face before a smile replaced his earlier look of concern as he looked into her eyes, the hope brimming in his own as he beseeched her;

"Say that again please."

Dara wiped her eyes as she swallowed the lump of trepidation caught in her throat as she repeatedly softly;

"I'm pregnant."

Unable to prevent his grin from broadening, Lucas clarified;

"We're going to have a baby?"

Slowly, still worried about his response, Dara silently nodded her confirmation of his question. For a moment, she found herself fearful as he rose so fast that she had trouble comprehending it. However, as he grabbed her up from her chair to swing her around, whooping with delight, she found herself concerned that he had lost his mind as she begged;

"Lucas, please, honey, put me down. I'm going to be sick. STOP!"

Becoming utterly serious, Lucas quickly set her back on her feet, chagrined as he watched her bolt past him to the downstairs bathroom where she abruptly lost her battle with the nausea that she had been fighting all day. Waiting until she had relieved her stomach, he gently wiped her face and hands and helped her up from the floor. Despite his concern, Lucas couldn't help but smile as he pulled her to him as he looked into her eyes before surmising;

"That's why you've been acting so strangely lately, isn't it?"

Nodding her agreement with his statement, Dara asked in uncertainty;

"Are you happy about this? I would like to think that, judging by your reaction, you are; although we never did discuss a time frame for children."

Unable to hide his amusement at her concern, Lucas shook his head;

"To quote my wife; 'when we have children, it will be God's will', so how could I not be happy? But yes, I am very happy about it."

Understanding the reason behind her earlier tears and sadness, the concern and regret evident, he demanded;

"Is that why you were crying, because you thought that I would be upset about it?"

Hanging her head like a child whose been made to feel foolish over the idea of being frightened of the dark, she slowly nodded as she spoke softly;

"I wasn't sure how you might react."

Hugging her close, he stated;

"Well, now you know. Now, I think you, my love, need some rest. I'll bring you your supper on a tray when it's ready, alright?"

Not feeling particularly well at the moment, Dara nodded as she grabbed the stair rail, about to start up the stairs. However, Lucas quickly realized that, given that she was swaying slightly as well as how she had closed her eyes as she took several deep breaths, her morning sickness wouldn't be solely confined to the early morning hours of the day. Concerned, he asked;

"What's the matter, darlin; are you feeling dizzy?"

Opening her eyes, she slowly nodded;

"And very nauseous."

As if to prove her point she bolted past him to the bathroom once more. Once she had eased her plight, she found Lucas, once more, there to help her as he took a washcloth to gently wipe her face and hands as he worriedly inquired;

"Better now?"

Swallowing hard, she nodded;

"I think so."

Too weak to argue, she made no protest when he knelt and scooped her into his arms. Instead, she simply laid her head against his shoulder, allowing him to take her upstairs and put her to bed. After he had pulled the curtains and tucked her in, he kissed her forehead and made certain to leave the door ajar in case she should need him. Once downstairs he couldn't help but remember something that his grandmother had told him on his wedding day. Picking up the phone, he punched out the familiar number as he waited for an answer;

"Hello, Mama Lucy? Yeah, it's Lucas. How are you? We're fine; Mama, guess who's pregnant? That's right. I will, you too, bye."

With that he hung up the phone before heading to the kitchen, whistling to himself as the reality of his wife's condition truly hit home with him.


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER 18**

Uncertain as to how Caleb might take the news of her pregnancy, Dara asked Lucas to tell him about the impending birth of their baby. Since he had begun spending more and more time with Lucas since his marriage, the boy had developed a habit of popping into the station after school to help out around the office. Today being no exception, when Lucas noticed him heading for the soda machine he motioned for him to enter his office and take a chair in front of his desk. The fact that his curiosity was peaked was evident in the way that he looked at his father as he demanded;

"Well, are you going to tell me what you want to talk to me about or not?"

Sighing as he placed his folded hands on his desk, Lucas asked;

"Caleb, you know how much I love Dara, right?"

Staring at his father, puzzled, Caleb nodded;

"Yeah, and I know that she loves you too. Why are you asking?"

Apprehensively, Lucas explained;

"Well, I'm sure that if you realized how much two people love each other, than you also realize that, sooner or later, as a result of that love, they usually have children; right?"

Uncertain if he was understanding his father correctly, Caleb asked;

"Are you wondering if I'd mind if you and Dara have some babies?"

The vague memories he had of the event with his cousin, Gail, Caleb hung his head in self loathing as he softly speculated;

"You're afraid that I might do the same thing to Dara that I did to my cousin; ain't you?"

Shaking his head vehemently, Lucas hurried to assure the boy;

"No, son, that's not it. What happened to Gail wasn't y our fault, so don't blame yourself. What I'm trying to say, is that I hope that you wouldn't mind a brother or sister, or even a couple of them, because Dara is going to have a baby in a few months."

His head snapping up, the shock of his father's statement evident in h is eyes, Caleb exclaimed;

"She is?"

Despite himself, Lucas couldn't help but smile as he nodded his confirmation as Caleb pondered a thought for a moment before venturing;

"Is that why she's been acting so funny lately?"

Sighing as he nodded, Lucas explained;

"Apparently so. She didn't even think it was a possible reason for why she's been feeling so 'off' lately, but she had a physical and she is definitely pregnant."

Shyly, Caleb offered his father a smile as he considered aloud;

"I think that it would be nice to have a little brother or sister."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Lucas confessed;

"I had hoped that you would feel that way about it, son."

Realizing that, if the night before was any indication, Dara probably wouldn't feel up to cooking and since Caleb was eager to tell her himself how happy he was about the baby; Lucas decided to order her favorite Chinese take out so that all three would be able to celebrate. He and Caleb had just finished setting the table when they heard the front door open and close. Coming up the hallway to greet her, Lucas began cheerfully;

"Darlin, guess who invited himself to supper?"

Although he began cheerfully, Lucas frowned sharply as she turned around and he caught sight of her face. She was as white as a sheet; something even more apparent due to the gray circles that were ringing her eyes. Approaching her, Lucas pulled her close to him and felt her sway before she found her balance as she leaned against him for support. Guiding her to the living room, he sat her on the safe before turning to Caleb;

"Go and pour her some of that ginger ale that's in the fridge. Let's see if that doesn't help her."

Putting his hand against her cheek, he asked anxiously;

"Have you felt THIS bad, all day?"

Unable to lift her head from the back cushion of the sofa, she weakly nodded her affirmation to his inquiry. Hurrying back into the living room, careful not to spill the contents of the glass he was holding, Caleb offered;

"Here you go, see if this don't help."

Taking the glass, Lucas placed it against her lips as he instructed;

"Come on, honey, try taking a sip."

Doing as instructed, Dara grimaced as she pushed the glass away before bolting off the sofa towards the bathroom. Turning to his father, the concern evident in his eyes, Caleb demanded;

"Is she supposed to be THAT sick?"

Although he didn't like doing so, Lucas admitted his uncertainty as he shook his head;

"I'm not exactly sure myself, Caleb. Why don't you go ahead and eat your supper; I don't think that she's going to really feel up to eating much of anything."

Taking his father's advice, Caleb made his way to the dining room as Lucas went to see about his wife. Once he was sure that she was, once more, in control of her malady, he took a damp cloth and began wiping her face and hands in an attempt to make her feel, somewhat, better. Sighing in frustration as he looked into her darkly circled eyes, he asked;

"Has it been THIS bad all day?"

Nodding weakly, not even bothering to lift her head from where she had laid it against the wall, she confessed;

"I wasn't even sure that I was going to be able to make it home."

Lucas couldn't help but shake his head in frustration; he hated seeing her suffer the way that she was now as he considered;

"Darlin, why don't you ask Crower to examine you? I know that you're expected to have morning sickness, but this seems more serious than just plain morning sickness."

Swallowing hard to keep the nausea at bay, Dara turned to him as she explained;

"Matt isn't an obstetrician. I talked with Dr. Hanson today, he said that it varies from woman to woman and he seems to think that all I really need to do is to get more rest and start taking some vitamins."

Managing a weak smile, she chastised him lightly;

"Stop worrying, it will pass."

Uncertain that he wanted to simply wait until it 'passed', but since no other alternatives were presenting themselves, Lucas realized that he had no other choice. Although he waited everyday for the prophesied event of the sickness leaving her to come to pass, he found himself becoming more and more frustrated at his inability to help her as her symptoms seemed to gain in intensity as opposed to easing.

Dara had her first check up and discovered that she was six weeks pregnant, which meant that the baby would be due around the first part of March. Lucas had insisted on going with her, not certain that she was sharing everything about her condition for fear of worrying him, but, much to his surprise, Dr. Hanson kept assuring them that she would start improving anytime. Although he was able to discern a subtle fullness in her breasts as well as the slight swell of her abdomen, but she was still extremely thin as well as even sicker now then what she had been on her previous visit.

After four weeks of Dr. Hanson's promises, which still had not come to pass, Lucas found his temper at a very short end as he and Dara sat in front of the doctor's desk going over his findings after her latest examination. Although he presented a soothing enough demeanor, especially given his typical Norman Rockwell physician, appearance, Lucas found his patience at an end as the man repeated the same mantra as he had on their previous visits;

"Well, it seems that everything is progressing normally."

Unable to contain his disbelief and temper any further, Lucas glared at the man as he raged;

"What the hell do you mean 'progressing normally'; are you blind or just incompetent?"

Shocked by his outburst, Dara placed her hand on his arm in an attempt to calm him. Glancing down at her, now, much thinner hand, Lucas gently took it in his own as he held it up for the doctor's inspection to prove his point before continuing;

"Look at her, she has to wrap tape around her wedding ring just so she can keep it on her finger. Not to mention the fact that, according to your scales, in four weeks time she has lost at least fifteen pounds. Mind you that's instead of gaining, which she should be doing at this stage. At the rate she's going, she won't be here by the time the baby is born."

Studying the couple seated across the desk from him, Dr. Hanson tried to hide his apprehension as he attempted to calm Lucas' anger;

"Sheriff Buck, I understand your concern for your wife, but let me assure you that this will..."

Glaring at the man daringly, Lucas challenged;

"Let me guess, 'pass'? Let me assure you, there is something wrong with my wife. Do you have any idea what she had for breakfast this morning? I'll tell you; half a piece of dry toast and a sip of ginger ale. Which, I might add, didn't stay down for very long. Did you know that she's so weak that she can't even climb the stairs to our bedroom anymore? I have to carry her otherwise she can't make it. Now, tell me that's normal."

Uncertain how he should proceed, Hanson began cautiously;

"I see your point."

Scribbling on his pad, he handed Lucas a prescription as he advised;

"Here, see that she takes this twice a day, it should stop the nausea. Bring her back in two weeks and we'll see how she has progressed; in the meantime, I'll give her a vitamin shot to boost her immunities."

Taking the paper and placing it in his pocket, Lucas watched as the doctor prepared a needle before injecting it into Dara's arm. Once that was done, Lucas helped her rise, watching her struggle to even stand found him gritting his teeth in aggravation at not being able to ease her suffering, as well as the fact that he realized that she was withering away, day by day. What should have been the happiest time of their lives was seriously marred by the fact that if something weren't done to help her and soon, she wouldn't survive her pregnancy. Taking her arm as they left the building and went to their car, he pleaded with her;

"Let me take you home, you need the rest."

Sighing as she gave a slight shake of her head, Dara simply stated;

"I want to go back to the hospital, at least there I still feel productive."

Although he would have preferred to take her home for rest, Lucas wasn't willing to argue and unnerve her any further, he simply nodded his agreement. Once he had her settled in her office and after promising to see her after work, he left to return to his own office. That had been another change in their routines; she no longer trusted herself to drive. Having become too weak and tired she allowed Lucas to drive her to and from work.

Having settled himself in his car, Lucas was about to turn the key in the ignition when he noticed Dara's purse lying on the floor. Realizing that she might need it at some point, he grabbed it and retraced his steps back to her office. Knocking on her door, in case she was in session, he waited, but when no answer came he tested the knob and was relieved to find it unlocked as he entered. The first thing that struck him was that her desk chair was shoved next to the wall; shrugging it off, he decided to leave her purse in the chair so that she could easily find it. As he approached the backside of her desk he understood why the chair was shoved against the wall as he found Dara, lying unconscious on the floor.

His eyes widened in panic as he dropped the bag before kneeling next to her to place his hands on either side of her face, patting her cheeks as he begged in panic;

"DARA! DARA! COME ON, BABY, WAKE UP! HONEY, PLEASE, OPEN YOUR EYES!."

Seeing that he wasn't reviving her, he placed his fingers on the side of her neck, feeling a steady rhythm of her pulse he breathed a reserved sigh of relief, until he realized that it was beating much too fast. Choosing that moment to inquire whether or not Dara had gotten the latest memo, Matt entered her office;

"Hey, Dara, did you get this..."

Looking up from the paper he was holding and taking in the scene in front of him, the memo was forgotten as it fell from his hands as he exclaimed;

"What the hell? What happened to her?"

Quickly, he dropped to his knees next to her as he began examining her as Lucas explained;

"I don't know. I came back to bring her purse to her and I found her like this."

Listening to her heart, Matt's head snapped up as he exclaimed;

"Her heart beat is extremely erratic."

Then, checking her pulse, he looked up at Lucas, concern evident in his eyes;

"My, God, a race horse's pulse isn't this fast."

Grabbing the phone from her desk, he punched the appropriate numbers before firing off orders;

"Cardiac? Yeah, this is Crower. I need Dr. Jacobs; STAT! No, I just found Dara Buck unconscious in her office, and let him know that she's pregnant. We'll be up in just a second."

Turning to Lucas, Matt could see that he was already gathering her still form in his arms as he advised;

"We have to get her upstairs before she goes into cardiac arrest."

Rushing to the door, he threw it open and ran, glancing over his shoulder to make certain that Lucas was close behind him, to the Cardiac Unit. Once there, Dr. Jacobs, who met them at the doorway, quickly motioned them to a waiting examination room. Placing her gently on the table, Lucas quickly found himself forced into a corner as the physicians and nurses worked over his wife. Standing back watching helpless, Lucas' head snapped up in attention as Dr. Jacobs spoke;

"My God, the woman's heart sounds as if it were about to explode."

Sparing Lucas a quick glance, he ventured;

"I take it that this is your wife, Sheriff Buck?"

At Lucas' silent nod, he probed further;

"Is she on any kind of medication?"

Shaking his head, Lucas explained;

"No, just pre-natal vitamins."

Turning to Crower, Jacobs ordered;

"Get a blood sample."

Watching as the younger man carried out his dictate, Jacobs turned her attention back to Lucas as he asked;

"Does she have a history of heart problems?"

Turning to Matt, Lucas allowed him to field that question;

"No, she has had a troubled pregnancy though."

Jacobs shook his head in denial;

"No amount of 'trouble' could account for this. Somewhere, somehow, she has been given Digitalis; I would bet on it. There isn't any other thing that I can think of that could produce these symptoms in someone without a heart condition."

Turning, he ordered;

"Give me a hypo of Nifedipine; let's try twenty cc's, hopefully that will slow her heart down."

Doing as ordered, Matt searched the medicine locker and found the necessary bottle to prepare the needle before handing it to Jacobs. Lucas watched as Jacobs injected the needle in the upper part of Dara's shoulder, getting as close to her heart as safely possible. Lucas realized that, as he stood silent watching as Jacobs placed his stethoscope over his wife's chest, listening to the sound of her heart, the few moments that it took the physician to do so had to have been the longest moments in his entire life, up to that point. Finally, he breathed a sigh of relief before taking her wrist to check her pulse. Exhaling the breath that he had been holding, he offered a reserved smile as she turned to Lucas;

"I think that she's going to be alright now. Her heart and pulse have slowed significantly. I still want to see what that test says though."

With that, he left the room to check the results of Dara's blood samples.

Crossing the space to the exam table, Lucas looked down at his wife and, oblivious to Matt's presence, placed his hand along her cheek, needing the physical contact to reassure himself that she was going to, indeed, be all right. The look in his eyes changed from one of infinite love to cold calculation, when he turned to Matt to inquire;

"What do you know about Hanson?"

Having busied himself with straightening the debris from the earlier struggle of life and death, Matt turned to face the man, a puzzled look on his face as he carefully explained;

"Not really a whole lot. I know that he has a reputation for being a good obstetrician, but other than that, I really couldn't tell you anything about him. Why do you ask?"

Facing him squarely, Lucas stated, without preamble;

"I know how we stand, Harvard; you don't like me and I know that I've given you reason enough. To be honest, I've never particularly cared for you; but, I know that you're a damn good doctor and I want you to take over as her doctor."

Seeing that Matt was about to launch a protest, Lucas rushed to plead his case;

"Look, I'm not asking you to do this as a favor to me. I'm asking you because I would trust you with her life, which is exactly what I'm doing."

Still uncertain as to what had prompted Lucas' decision, Matt shrugged his shoulders as he demanded;

"I still don't get it; why?"

Shaking his head at the man's naivete, Lucas explained;

"Look, you're her friend; for one, which means that you care about her. Now tell me this, Harvard; if you wanted to get even with me for something, but you didn't have any kind of feelings one way or the other about my wife, how would you do it?"

His eyes widening at what was being implied, Matt demanded incredulously;

"You don't seriously think that Hanson would do this, do you?"

His aggravation evident as he stared at the man in disbelief, Lucas couldn't believe that Matt hadn't pieced the puzzle together for himself as he laid out the complete picture for the man;

"She has been seeing him since we found out that she's pregnant; but, instead of improving, her health has steadily gotten worse. And I guarantee that if you get the bottle of vitamins from her purse that you'd be amazed at just what might be in them. Not to mention, he gave her an injection this morning; supposedly it was a vitamin shot to help boost her immune system and shortly afterwards we find her on the verge of cardiac arrest. Now, what conclusions would you come to?"

Considering the facts that had been presented to him for a moment, Matt couldn't deny that Lucas definitely had a point; he had made quite a few enemies and if you had the know how and access to the tools, slowly killing the man's wife and unborn child would definitely satisfy one's taste for revenge. Finally, the understanding dawning in his eyes, Matt turned to Lucas as he nodded;

"Alright, I'll take over as her doctor. But the first thing that I'm going to do is to admit her; we need to get a handle on whatever damage has been done and try to reverse it."

Lucas released a relieved sigh as he nodded;

"Whatever you say; I won't give you a hard time about it."

Knowing how stubborn and domineering the man was, Matt couldn't help but stare in shock that he had agreed to his dictates so readily. Seeing the look on the physician's face, Lucas demanded in a trite tone;

"What now?"

Shaking his head in astonishment, Matt ventured;

"Oh nothing, it's just that I find it amazing that someone like you can have such a large capacity for love of another person as you do for Dara."

Glaring at the man, Lucas emphasized;

"You just see that you take good care of her or you'll see the other side of that coin, Harvard."

Before either could say anything else, Jacobs entered, the results of Dara's blood work in his hand as he confirmed;

"Well, I was right; she has traces of digitalis in her system."

Turning to Lucas he demanded;

"You said that she's pregnant; didn't you?"

Nodding, Lucas confirmed;

"Yes, she's about ten or so weeks along."

Jacobs found himself searching for the most tactful way to approach the issue at hand. He had no doubts that Lucas Buck wasn't at fault; the love that the man possessed for his wife had been evident by the look on his face as he watched the efforts made to save his wife's life, but the fact was, Dara Buck had somehow been given an almost lethal injection and that issue needed to be addressed;

"Well, for the amount that was in her system, it had to have been administered directly into her blood. Not to mention, we haven't gotten all of her results back yet so there's no telling what else might be in her system. Did she have any type of injection or vaccination today?"

Casting Matt a knowing look, Lucas silently warned him to keep his mouth shut; he would be taking this matter up with Hanson personally. Turning to the elder doctor, Lucas offered;

"She had a shot this morning, it was supposed to be a vitamin shot to help her immune system. The nurse was a new one and she probably confused the injections with another patients."

Although he wasn't comfortable with Buck's ready acceptance that this was a simple mistake, especially not when it could have meant the possible death of, not only his wife but, his unborn child as well. However, he also knew of Lucas Buck's reputation and what the man could be capable of and flirting with disaster wasn't a good way to live to an old age. Finally, deciding to take the safest route possible when dealing with this man, he nodded his agreement;

"You're probably right, but someone does need to notify Dr. Hanson."

Narrowing his eyes Lucas challenged;

"I'll let him know, doctor. I plan on stopping by his office later anyway."

Jacobs simply nodded; feeling great pity for his colleague as he left the room, allowing the technician to enter in order to perform an ultrasound to determine what, if any, damage the baby might have suffered. Checking Dara's pulse and heart rate once more, Matt, the relief evident in his eyes, glanced at Lucas as he confirmed;

"Her heart and pulse are back to normal, so let's see how the baby fared."

Lucas watched as the technician maneuvered the tool over Dara's abdomen, searching for their child's heartbeat. Finally, he steadied the wand in a central spot and hit a series of buttons on the keyboard, giving Matt the opportunity to study the image and data. Glancing to Lucas he asked;

"Would you like to hear your child's heartbeat?"

With that, he reached over to turn a knob, increasing the volume as Lucas stepped around to the other side of the table. Fascinated, Lucas stared at the small, fuzzy image that represented his son or daughter as he listened to the steady thump, thump, thump of the monitor as he realized, for the first time, just how real the baby now seemed to him. Studying Dara's relaxed face he couldn't help but feel his heart swell with the love that he had for, both, her and their child.

Turning to Matt, the concern evident in his voice, Lucas demanded;

"Is it normal for her to still be unconscious?"

Nodding, Matt put his mind at ease as he explained;

"That's part of the charm of the medication that we gave her; in some cases it can work as a tranquilizer. She's out now more because of that then the stress of the attack. Besides that, she desperately needs the rest."

Studying the screen once more as the technician completed the ultrasound, he confirmed;

"As far as the baby is concerned, everything looks alright."

Grateful for the lives of his wife and child, Lucas felt so overwhelmed that he didn't feel as if he could trust his voice as he simply nodded his acceptance of Matt's diagnosis. Then, remembering exactly how close he came to losing both, he turned to Matt and brusquely ordered;

"I have something that I have to take care of. Go ahead and admit her; I'll sign whatever I need to when I get back."

Matt couldn't help but shake his head in sympathy, feeling pity for Hanson as Lucas left. He was willing to bet that the man had no idea as to what was coming his way.

Andrew Hanson had just secured the front door of his outer office before pouring himself a bracing drink from the bottle that he carefully kept hidden in the outer office filing cabinet. Swallowing the fortifying liquid as he took the bottle in his hand, he turned towards his private office, seeking refuge and relaxation as he began contemplating the events of the day. He couldn't help but admit that he had found himself extremely stressed when he had realized that, after Lucas Buck's outburst earlier that morning, he was going to have to push his plans ahead and move faster then what he had anticipated and originally prepared for. Although he couldn't deny the nagging guilt that he had begun to feel over the torture that he was putting Dara Buck through; but even that couldn't sway the decision that he had made to avenge his sister's death.

It had taken him years to come to grips with, even the idea of, visiting his brother in law; Carter Bowen after the death of his beloved sister, Edda. He had never cared for Carter and felt that the man wasn't good enough for his younger sister; however, Edda had truly loved the man and swore to her brother that she wanted nothing more than to spend her life with him. A feeling that he could understand increasing after the birth of their daughter; Patricia or Poppy, as she had been nicknamed. He had been devastated when he had received the call from his niece, telling him of Edda's death and Carter's arrest.

It had taken Hanson a great deal of time to recover from the shock of his sister's death; and even longer to recover from his anger at the man that he held responsible; Carter. However, once he had mulled the events over, as they had been explained to him, he relented to his niece's pleas to visit Carter. Initially, when he had agreed, it had been with the idea of seeking closure over his sister's death, however, that had been before he had made several visits to the prison and learned of all the events that had taken place prior to Edda's murder. He had quickly realized that, although Carter may have pulled the trigger that ended her life, the true culprit had been the man who had manipulated the events to put Carter in that situation; Lucas Buck.

Once he had gotten all of the facts he deemed necessary from Carter, Hanson had decided to relocate his practice to Trinity, although he didn't have any clear plan as to how to avenge his sister's murder in mind at that point. In fact, he had all but given up on the idea of retribution against Lucas Buck, having developed a very lucrative practice since his relocation some time before, realizing that, in his capacity, he was somewhat limited when it came to exacting revenge on the sheriff of Trinity. However, he found the opportunity that he had been waiting for when he happened to glance at his appointment calendar and noticed the name; Dara Buck.

Discovering that she was, in fact, Lucas Buck's wife, he couldn't believe his good fortune to have the answer to his quandary dropped into his lap. He had begun formulating a plan as to how he could make the man he considered responsible pay for his sins through his wife and unborn child; the only thing that he had not considered had been Dara herself. After Carter's description, and his own inquiries into the man's character, he had expected to find Buck married to a cold, cruel and calculating woman who had simply gotten herself pregnant out of a sense of obligation in exchange for the prestige of being Lucas Buck's wife; he quickly realized that the opposite of his assumption was the case.

He could still remember the shock that he had felt at her first appointment when he realized that Dara was a warm, loving and giving person who possessed a wonderful personality. Hanson couldn't help but quickly realize that his assumption that Lucas Buck's wife had intentionally become pregnant to simply fulfill an obligation to her husband couldn't have been farther from the truth, especially when Dara had admitted to him that she felt that her child was a blessing. He couldn't help but sigh as he felt another severe pang of conscience over the pain and torment that he was inflicting upon her; yet, despite the numerous pangs that he had suffered over the past few weeks, he never allowed it to deter him from his goal.

Shaking his head, as if it would clear the thoughts of guilt as he downed the last of the liquid in his glass he gave voice to his guilty thought as he opened the door to his private office;

"Unfortunately, she had to be the means to an end."

With that he slid his hand against the wall to flip the light switch, stopping short as the overhead fixture illuminated the room and, there, sitting in his desk chair, was Lucas Buck. The shock evident as his eyes widened, he demanded;

"How did you get in here? I locked the doors and checked every room myself."

Offering the man a malicious smile, Lucas chuckled humorlessly;

"Haven't you heard? The advantage to being Sheriff is that I can get in anywhere at anytime."

Leaning forward to cross his arms on the desktop, Lucas pinned the man with his eyes as he observed;

"You know, Doctor, you look like I caught you at a bad time. Am I interrupting something?"

Swallowing nervously as he tried to appear casual, Hanson gave a slight nod of his head;

"Well, I do have to leave town unexpectedly. I was just about to find someone to be on call for me."

Nodding, Lucas ventured;

"Yeah, I suppose that would be a good idea. You know, just in case one of your patients needs a doctor. You know how expectant mothers can be; some of them can develop the most unusual problems. Take my own wife, for instance; she was perfectly healthy until her pregnancy. Oh, I expected that she would have morning sickness and such, but I have to tell you, it just breaks my heart a little more every time that I see how weak and frail she's become."

Hanson hoped that his voice sounded dispassionate as he replied;

"Well, hopefully she will regain her health further along."

Shaking his head, a look of sadness on his features, Lucas argued;

"I'm not too sure about that, Doc; she seems to get worse and worse. For instance; I found her unconscious on the floor of her office earlier today, not half an hour after she was in your office. And the odd thing; she was on the verge of cardiac arrest; can you explain to me how she could have developed a heart condition associated with pregnancy?"

Hanson couldn't remember the man even rising from the chair, but the next thing that he knew was that he found himself slammed against the wall with Lucas' forearm pressed against his throat. The look of sadness that he had worn earlier was quickly replaced with rage as Lucas glared daggers at him from eyes that reminded Hanson of smoldering coals at that moment. The hard, knife like edge in his voice was no less frightening as he demanded;

"Would you care to explain to me how in the hell you thought that an almost lethal dose of Digitalis would boost my wife's immune system?"

When he received no comment from the man in his grasp, Lucas' chest heaved with the effort he was exerting to keep from tearing the man to pieces as he continued;

"You know something? For once, I'm glad that my wife is as stubborn as she is. I wanted her to go home and rest, but she decided that she wanted to go back to work instead. That was your plan, wasn't it? I take her home and leave her there by herself, then, she has a nice quiet heart attack with no one there with her to get her help; she would have died, nice and quietly, wouldn't she? Luckily, working in a hospital has its advantages."

Pressing harder against the man's throat as fire shot from his eyes, Lucas fumed;

"Now, would you care to tell me why the hell you've been slowly trying to kill my wife? I can guess your reason for that injection this morning; you knew that I wouldn't let you treat her any longer and you couldn't risk letting another doctor run any tests and finding, God only knows, what in her system. By the way, WHAT are you giving her to make her so damn sick?"

Gripping Lucas' arm in an attempt to loosen the pressure on his throat, Hanson swallowed hard as he decided that he had nothing left to lose as he confessed to Lucas' allegations;

"A combination of Benzodiapepines and muscle relaxers."

His eyes widening in disbelief as he sucked in a deep breath, Lucas realized just how truly depraved the man was; as well as having full understanding dawn on him as he realized the EXACT reason for, not only, Dara's lethargy for the past few weeks, but also the reason why she had seemed so out of touch and uncomprehending as well. Narrowing his gaze, his hatred almost palpable at this point, he speculated as to how Hanson had managed to get her to take the almost lethal combination.

"That's what's in those vitamins that you kept pumping into her, isn't it? I know that she was having a rough time with the morning sickness from the start, before she came to you. How long have you been giving her this stuff?"

Dejectedly, Hanson admitted;

"Since her first visit, after I realized that she was your wife. I just increased the dosage a little at a time."

Piecing it all together, Lucas nodded his understanding;

"That's why she was acting so spaced out; it's a wonder that she was able to function at all. One thing that I don't understand; why were you trying to kill her? I know my wife; she's never done anything to harm anyone; so what do you have against her?"

Hanson glared in defiance as he explained his motives;

"No, she hasn't done anything; but you have. I don't suppose the name Edda Bowen means anything to you, does it?"

Searching his memory, Lucas remember the incident between Carter Bowen and Wash Suptin. Carter had mistakenly shot Edda; assuming that she was Wash, who had been making advances towards their daughter, Poppy. Lucas nodded;

"Yeah, it rings a bell; Carter Bowen's wife, he shot her thinking that she was a guy that Poppy was fooling around with."

Narrowing his gaze accusingly, Hanson ranted;

"That is your story! I've talked to Carter and I know that if it weren't for you, Edda would still be alive. She was my sister, you bastard."

Staring at the man in shock, Lucas demanded in disbelief;

"Let me get this straight, the reason that you've tried to kill my wife; a woman who has done absolutely nothing to you, as well as our unborn child, who is also innocent, is because you believe the ramblings of a psycho, who shot his wife?"

Nodding, Hanson fumed;

"I know that you manipulated it to happen. The same way that you manipulate everything else in this town. You're a demon from Hell, which is exactly what that child will be as well. That's why I had to do this."

Lucas couldn't help but shake his head in disgust;

"You need to get your facts straight; Carter pulled the trigger, not me."

Realizing just how bleak his own future now seemed to appear, Hanson's voice had a dull, lifeless tone as he asked;

"So what happens now? I don't really see you as being the type of man that forgives and forgets."

Lucas' eyes narrowed as he considered what course of action he should take; the fact was that he would have liked nothing better than to rip the man's throat our for the pain that he had caused Dara. And, being honest with himself, he didn't appreciate the fear that he had felt at the idea of life without her. The only thing that stopped him from ending the man's life was the fact that he knew what Dara's reaction would be to such an act; the look of disappointment and heartbreak that would be in her eyes wasn't something that Lucas wanted to see. However, the good doctor administering his own punishment, especially considering the consequences that faced him as the result of his actions, wasn't something that Lucas could be faulted for. Turning his full attention back to the man, Lucas shook his head as he narrowed his gaze;

"You know, you've almost cost me something that I simply am not willing to give up, not without a fight and even then only if I was dead; not to mention the hell that you've put her through. That's why this is going to take very careful thought and consideration on my part."

Releasing the man, he turned to the door as he threw over his shoulder;

"However, I think, Doctor, that you just might be the best judge of how to cure your own diagnosis."

With that he pulled the door to and left, knowing that Hanson would never pose a threat to his wife again.

Matt was in the process of making his rounds when he noticed Lucas walking up the hallway towards him. Motioning to an unoccupied room, Lucas waited until Matt had closed the door behind him before asking, his voice full of concern;

"How is she?"

Shrugging, Matt explained;

"She's stable; her heart and pulse rates are back to normal and she's resting now."

Reaching into his jacket pocket, Lucas handed the two bottles of pills that he had taken from Hanson's office to Matt. Glancing at the bottles, puzzled, Matt demanded;

"What are these?"

Still seething in anger at the audacity that the man had possessed, as well as the pain that he had made Dara suffer, Lucas replied;

"Those, are what that bastard was pumping into my wife."

Studying the bottles closer, Matt's jaw dropped in astonishment as he demanded;

"How in the hell did he ever get her to take these? I mean, she isn't ignorant when it comes to medication, she would have spotted the lab..."

As if a light had gone on over his head, fully illuminating the thought in his mind, Matt suddenly realized how it had been accomplished as he answered his own question;

"He either gave her the capsules in differently labeled bottles, or he filled the vitamin capsules with what's in these bottles so that she wouldn't realize they weren't vitamins."

Shaking his head in amazement at just how maniacal Hanson truly was, Matt exclaimed;

"My God! No wonder she's so sick. I mean the side effects alone would wreak the results that he was after, not to mention this explains why she hasn't been able to function normally. But what changed; I mean why administer the Digitalis this morning?"

Sighing as he ran his hand through his hair in anger as well as aggravation with himself for not following his first impulse and taken Dara to another doctor sooner, Lucas admitted;

"Because, I stopped buying the line that he was throwing that she would improve. And had Dara not been so drugged and confused, she wouldn't have bought it either. He couldn't afford for me to take her to another doctor, when they ran blood tests they would have found out that she was being drugged and it wouldn't have taken long to figure out what was going on."

Matt found that he couldn't help but feel disgust for Hanson's disregard for human life. Shaking his head, he ventured;

"So he decided to go ahead and kill her."

Nodding, Lucas agreed;

"And if she hadn't insisted on coming back to work, it would have worked. I wanted her to go home and rest, if she had, she would have gone into cardiac arrest and with no one there to get her help..."

Unable to contemplate the thought fully, Lucas left the statement unfinished as Matt narrowed his gaze in suspicion. He knew that, whatever motive had prompted Hanson's behavior, it couldn't have been anything that Dara had done; that being the case, the reason had to lay with her husband. Finally, Matt demanded;

"But why? Why would he want to do something like this to Dara?"

Realizing that nothing would be gained by sidestepping the man's query, not to mention the promise that he had made to Dara when she agreed to marry him, Lucas confirmed his suspicions;

"Do you remember Edda Bowen?"

Searching his memory for a moment, Matt's eyes widened in recognition as he nodded;

"Isn't she the one whose husband shot her because he mistook her for a boy that he thought their daughter was fooling around with?"

Lucas confirmed;

"Yes, one and the same. Hanson is her brother, he blames me for his sister's death."

Matt couldn't help but shake his head as he stated;

"So he was after revenge, only instead of killing you, he was going to kill Dara and your baby."

Lucas couldn't find any words to justify his innocence in any of what had taken place; the fact was that he knew the only innocents in what had happened was his wife and child, neither deserving what they had been made to suffer. Remaining silent, Lucas simply nodded is affirmation of Matt's observation. Turning to leave the room, Matt stopped at the door before turning and pinning Lucas with his eyes as he stated his feelings in a tone that held neither reproach or condemnation; just simple honesty;

"You know, you've caused a lot of damage to a lot of people's lives, so I strongly suggest that you be more on guard. I'm quite certain that there are probably others out there who are just waiting for a chance at revenge against you. Although I appreciate the way you've changed since Dara came into your life; I can't say that I could really blame any of them, especially considering some of the damage that you have caused. However, we both know that Dara would, more than likely, be the one to pay the price for it and that would be the true crime of all of it."

With that, Matt opened the door and left Lucas to ponder his statement.


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER 19**

Dara regained consciousness the next day; at first, she was unable to focus on her surroundings and was about to panic when her gaze fell on her husband, sleeping, in a chair next to her bed. Needing the reassurance that his presence was based in reality and not another strange dream, she tried to reach out to touch his arm; but, she couldn't seem to make her hand follow through with the actions necessary for her to complete the movement.

Sensing the change, Lucas' eyes opened in time to witness the beginning of his wife's panic. Rising from his chair, he gently took her hand in his to place a kiss on her palm before sitting on the edge of the bed next to her. He could tell that she was having difficulty distinguishing reality from imagination as she hesitantly placed her hand against his chest to feel the solid flesh beneath her fingertips. Lucas could see the relief in her eyes, but when she began crying in relief the only course of action that he could think of was to hold her close, mindful of the IV needle in her arm. Stroking her hair in an attempt to comfort her he asked softly;

"Darlin, what is it? I'm right here, I promise you're not hallucinating or dreaming. Do you want to tell me about it?"

Relaxing his grip so that she could look up at him, he couldn't help but notice the odd look in her eyes as she shook her head and pleaded;

"I don't know what's the matter with me. I remember going for my check up and that's all I can remember. I feel so strange, it's like I don't have any control over my body. I've had all of these strange dreams where I couldn't find you anywhere. Oh, Lucas, what's wrong with me, and what about the baby?"

Having made up his mind to tell her the absolute truth when she asked about the events that led up to her present condition, Lucas explained;

"I found out why you weren't getting any better."

Concern and fear in her eyes, she asked quietly;

"Why, what was the matter?"

Sighing heavily, he explained;

"Hanson was poisoning you. He was switching your vitamins with tranquilizers and muscle relaxers; he was going to let you get run down to the point of death. He admitted that he was increasing the dosage gradually until, eventually, you would have more or less overdosed. Yesterday, he decided to speed things up because he couldn't take the chance that I would take you to another doctor. If they ran tests then they would know what he had been doing, so he gave you an almost lethal dose of Digitalis in that injection that he gave you. You were about to go into cardiac arrest when Crower and I found you in your office. Thank God that you decided to come back here and forgot your purse in the car; if you had gone home..."

Unable to consider the possibility of what might have happened, Lucas left the remainder of his statement unfinished. The fear evident in her eyes, he wasn't shocked as she asked timidly;

"But what about the baby?"

Smiling at her lovingly, happy by the fact that he was finally able to offer her something positive to consider, he explained;

"Your new physician; Dr. Matt Crower, did a thorough exam and an ultra sound and the baby seems to be just fine with a good healthy heartbeat."

Lucas couldn't help but feel gratified when he noticed that she had visibly relaxed by the news that their child was still alive. Although she had spent the previous twenty four hours unconscious, he could see, as she leaned back against the pillows, that she was already fatigued. Before either could say anything more, they heard a brief knock on the door just before Matt entered to examine her. Seeing that she was awake, his face brightened as he observed;

"Good, you're awake finally; let's have a look and see how you're doing."

Once Matt had completed his examination and satisfied himself that she was progressing, he made himself comfortable in a nearby chair to discuss his prognosis;

"Alright, here are the ground rules. First of all; your husband and I made a deal, basically, I agreed to take over as your doctor and he agreed not to give me any arguments, that will extend to you too, young lady. Do you understand?"

After she offered a silent nod of acceptance over his dictate, Matt gave a brief nod of acknowledgment as he continued;

"Good; now, I've checked and you're at least a good fifteen pounds underweight, so when you start gaining at a steady pace then we'll see about letting you out of here. Plus, we got back all of your blood work and there is a large buildup of what Hanson was giving you in your system; luckily, thanks to Lucas finding out EXACTLY what it was he had you taking, we were able to find out that they weren't addictive. However, there is still the possibility that you may still have withdrawal symptoms, so, with that in mind you are definitely here until your system is completely clean; alright?"

Even if her nod of acceptance had not been enough to convince Matt of how serious she took the situation, the solemn, serious look on her face was more than enough to convince both men that, although she might not be thrilled with a lengthy hospital stay, she wasn't going to balk considering the life of her child was at stake. The tension of the moment was broken up as Ben chose that moment to lightly rap on the door before peeking in. Seeing that Dara was fully awake, he couldn't help but offer her a smile as he entered the room and brought his hand from behind his back, full of flowers to surprise her.

Although he hated the reason for his visit, Ben was glad to see the way her face lit up at the sight of the bouquet, especially when she offered him a smile, albeit a weak one, but it still had the capability of charm to it. Handing the bouquet to Matt as he got up to fulfill her request to place them in water, Ben caught Lucas attention as he motioned to the doorway. Nodding his understanding, Lucas excused himself;

"Darlin, since Matt is here for a minute, I need to talk to Ben; I'll be right back."

Placing a kiss on her cheek before joining Ben, Lucas leaned against the wall in the hallway after the door had closed to fold his arms over his chest as he waited for Ben to tell him what he already knew about Hanson. He could tell his deputy was nervous as he advised;

"Lucas, they found Dr. Hanson's body in his office this morning. Apparently, he committed suicide; they found an empty bottle of whiskey and two empty bottles of pills next to him. It looks like he downed both bottles with the booze."

Careful to mask the fact that he already knew what had taken place, Lucas simply nodded;

"Alright Ben; can you handle it?"

Shrugging, Ben offered;

"Yeah, me and Floyd can manage, you just take care of your wife."

With that, he turned in the direction of the exit as Lucas returned to Dara's room, just as Matt was leaving. He could see by the curious look in his wife's eyes that, despite what she had been through, she was still very observant and inquisitive. Steeling himself for what he knew was coming, Lucas sat next to her on the edge of the bed and took her hand in his as he opened the doorway for her to start;

"You want to ask me something?

Swallowing hard, she nodded her head, the uncertainty showing in her eyes;

"Yes, but I'm not certain that I really want the answer to it."

Searching her eyes, Lucas had a pretty good idea as to what her question was as he surmised;

"You want to know why Hanson was trying to kill you, don't you?"

Dara searched her husband's eyes as she stated, rather than asked;

"It has something to do with you, doesn't it?"

Placing his hand along her cheek, Lucas sighed with guilt as he nodded;

"Yes, darlin, I'm afraid that it does. There was a man a few years ago, Carter Bowen, he mistook his wife for a man that he thought their daughter had been fooling around with and he shot her. He blames me because I asked him to let the guy stay with them when he was paroled until I could get him settled. The man, Wash Suptin, had been Carter's boss years before; anyway, it turns out that Hanson was Edda Bowen's brother and he, like Carter, believes it was my fault and decided to come here and get his revenge. Unfortunately, choosing him as your obstetrician dropped the perfect opportunity into his lap."

He could see that she was trying to process all of the information and trying to fathom the implications of his explanation. Finally, she raised her eyes as she asked quietly;

"What happens to him now?"

Taking a deep breath, resigned to be completely honest with her, yet leery of upsetting her any further than necessary, Lucas shook his head;

"Now, he goes to Hell. They found him in his office this morning; he chased down two full bottles of the same pills that he was giving you with a full bottle of liquor. My guess is that he knew that it wouldn't take long before we found out how you were injected with Digitalis, so he decided to punish himself rather than face the consequences for his actions."

Dara took several deep breaths before biting at her bottom lip in an attempt to control her anxiety; finally, she lifted her eyes to his, unable to hold the tears of fear at bay any longer as she stated in a whisper soft tone;

"I'm frightened."

Lucas heart lurched at the look in his wife's eyes, as well as her confession of the fear that she was experiencing. Pulling her tightly into his embrace, he vowed;

"You have nothing to fear anymore; I swear it. I talked with Crower and, like he told you earlier, he's taking over as your doctor and we know that he can be trusted."

Cupping her face in his hands he swore;

"I swear that I won't let another living soul ever hurt you again. I should have taken the initiative and taken you to another doctor a lot sooner; for that, I am most definitely sorry, but nothing like this will ever happen again."

Although Lucas knew that it wasn't something he really wanted to consider, he also knew that the right thing to do was to give her the choice in what, she thought, would make her feel the most confident in, both, her and their child's safety and security. Bearing that in mind, he swallowed the lump of fear back, dreading her answer as he offered;

"Would you feel better if you went away, or would you feel safer if we got a divorce?"

Studying her face for an indication of her answer, Lucas didn't realize that he had been holding his breath as he waited for her answer, hoping that it wouldn't be the one that he truly didn't want to consider. He noticed the look of shock that crossed her features as she demanded;

"But I thought that you said before we were married that there would never be a divorce."

Nodding slowly, Lucas explained;

"Yes, I did and I meant it too; but I would rather try to live without you then to risk someone ever trying to harm you again. I'll leave the choice up to you."

Dara felt as if her heart would shatter at even the idea of living without Lucas as the tears began rolling, unchecked, down her cheeks as she shook her head vehemently;

"NO! I love you too much to leave you and we said for better or for worse. I guess that this is just the worse."

Exhaling in relief, Lucas held her close as he praised;

"That's my girl."

During the, nearly, two weeks that Dara was a patient in the hospital, Lucas stayed constantly by his wife's side as she regained her health; something that was aided greatly by Caleb's frequent visits. When the boy had learned of his stepmother's close brush with death and realized that, not only had her life been in danger but, the life of his brother or sister as well. Lucas couldn't help but feel infinite gratification by the fact that his son had developed such a fondness and adoration for Dara.

Lucas knew that Caleb was fond of Dara, especially given how supportive and excited he had been when his father and Dara had married, but the affection and concern that the boy had shown and demonstrated for his step mother went beyond even Lucas' expectations. He couldn't help but shake his head by the fact that Caleb never popped in, during his frequent visits, without a gift of some kind for Dara; whether it was flowers that he had picked for her or some small stuffed animal that he had used his allowance to purchase, the pleasure the boy felt with his efforts when he saw the smile that it brought to her face made it well worth whatever sacrifice he had made, be it time or money.

Finally, after ten days as a patient, Matt burst into her room, full of good humor, as he informed her;

"Well, I just got the latest batch of lab tests back and your system is totally devoid of anything that shouldn't be there. I also got back the tests that we did on the baby and everything looks fine; add to that that you are now six pounds heavier than what you were when you were first admitted. So, if you want, you can go home today."

Leaning her head back as she sighed in relief, Dara exclaimed;

"Thank God, I was getting truly sick of this place."

Having spent his fair share of time as a patient as well, Matt nodded his head in empathy as he checked off his list of dictates;

"I fully understand, but, let's get something straight, young lady; first of all, as your physician, until your health is improved and the mourning sickness is completely gone, you are now on maternity leave from Fulton County General. You can still work on the project, but only if you agree to delegate the responsibility and not do all of the work yourself."

Reluctantly, Dara nodded as she agreed to his edict;

"Alright, Matt. I get the hint."

Although he had spent as much time with her as possible, Lucas had been forced to attend a mandatory law enforcement conference in the neighboring town of Ascension, so when he arrived it was to find himself pleasantly surprised by the fact that his wife had been discharged and was more than ready to go home. As Rita was helping her ensure that she had not forgotten and had packed everything, Lucas excused himself to make a phone call, when he returned it was to find his wife arguing with an orderly over the necessity of leaving in a wheelchair. He knew that she had reached her patience end with her hospital stay, especially her confinement to the bed, however, given that it was for the sake of their child she never uttered a word of complaint; but, he also knew that now that she was being discharged the last thing she would want would be more confinement of any type.

Realizing that neither the orderly or Dara was going to budge, he took matters in his own hands, especially when she had crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly in defiance. Glancing to the orderly, he ordered;

"Wait outside."

Once the man had closed the door behind him, he turned to his wife and placed his hands on his hips as he raised an eyebrow at her before demanding;

"Darlin, really?"

The mask of stubbornness she wore slipped considerably as her arms fell to her sides before pleading;

"Lucas, I've been stuck in this bed for almost two weeks; I don't need a wheelchair. If I'm well enough to leave then I'm well enough to walk out of here."

Shaking his head, he couldn't help but feel a combination of amusement, sympathy and frustration with her logic as he pointed out;

"Sweetheart, you know good and well that it's a rule, you work here; remember? Now, I understand that you're sick of being confined, believe it or not I get it, but, darlin, the only thing that stubbornness of yours' is going to get you right now is to delay your leaving this hospital. So, with that in mind..."

With that, he crossed the distance and simply swept her up in his arms before settling her in the chair, slightly amused by her wide eyed look of disbelief as she demanded;

"Lucas Buck, I can't believe that you just did that."

Placing his hands on the arms of the chair as he brought his face close to hers, he advised;

"Darlin, I want you home just as badly as you want to be home and the only way that's going to happen is if you get in this chair and let that man outside push our out the door while I go get the car. Now, in the interest of speeding this along will you please be a good girl and humor me, your doctor and the hospital?"

Glaring at him for a moment, Dara couldn't help but chuckle slightly as she sighed;

"You're right, I'm sorry, but please tell me I don't have to stay confined when we get home."

Nodding as he leaned down and placed a kiss on the tip of her nose, he agreed;

"Fair enough. Now, are you ready?"

At her nod, he opened the door and advised the orderly;

"My wife's ready now. I'll go get the car and meet you out front."

Once he had her settled and they were on their way home, Lucas informed her that he had a surprise waiting for her when they reached the house.

Lucas couldn't help but be amused when they pulled into the driveway and, before he could even cut the motor, Caleb came bounding out of the house to greet Dara. Throwing his arms around her waist after Lucas had helped her from the car, Caleb gushed;

"I sure am glad that you ain't got to spend no more time in the hospital; besides, it just ain't no fun here without you."

Taking her bag from Lucas, he ran back inside to deposit the luggage in their room, embarrassed by his show of emotions. Since she was still feeling weak, Dara made no protest when Lucas lifted her in his arms to carry her inside. After pushing the front door to, he asked;

"Do you want me to take you upstairs, or would you rather go sit in the den for a while?"

Shaking her head, Dara begged;

"No, please, I'm sick to death of beds. Let me just go sit in my rocking chair for a little while."

After she was comfortably settled, she glanced up to pin her husband with her eyes as she demanded;

"Okay so what's the surprise?"

Before Lucas could answer her inquiry, Mrs. Adams chose that moment to enter the room bearing a tray. Turning to him in uncertainty, Dara couldn't help but notice the broad grin he was wearing, obviously pleased with his efforts as he explained;

"I thought that the best thing, all the way around, was to get someone in to help out, at least until the baby comes."

Dara couldn't help but notice the stricken look on Mrs. Adams' face when she noticed her sharp frown. Hastening to reassure the woman, she explained;

"Mrs. Adams, it's not that I'm happy happy to see you, but it's just that I..."

Lucas, feeling frustrated with her stubbornness and pretty certain as to what the remainder of her statement was about to be, cut her short as he chastised sharply;

"Dammit, Dara, be sensible! You're still weak, you're in no condition to run this house by yourself. Not to mention all of the cleaning, cooking and shopping that has to be done, by the time that you are back to full strength it will be just about time for the baby to be born."

Realizing by the shocked and stricken look on her face that he had spoken much more sharply than what he had intended, Lucas lowered himself to sit on his heels to place his hand along her cheek as he gazed into her eyes to plead;

"And besides that, I would feel a lot better knowing that there is someone here with you when I'm not. I came too close to losing you to risk it again; so please, do this for me."

Seeing the pleading look in his eyes, Dara sighed in resignation as she placed her hand over his before turning to Mrs. Adams;

"Well, I guess that we're going to be spending a lot of time together, Mrs. Adams."

Both Mrs. Adams and Lucas felt infinite relief at her acceptance and agreement, but all three couldn't help but find humor as Caleb came bounding into the room to demand;

"Hey, I just thought about it, what's for supper?"

Lucas couldn't help but shake his head and laugh as he quipped;

"That's my boy."

Later that night in the privacy of their bedroom, Dara was attempting to coax her husband into some recuperative care of a different nature. Wary of subjecting his wife to any type of physical discomfort, Lucas was trying to reason with her. Although, he had to admit, the sight of her lying propped on one elbow in the middle of their bed was almost more than what his self restraint was able to bear as he shook his head;

"I'm just not that sure that this is a good idea, honey."

Huffing in frustration, Dara pointed out;

"You are aware that there are women who make love up until just before they deliver; aren't you?"

Nodding his understanding of her frustration, Lucas admitted;

"Yes, that's true, but most women didn't almost die and spend two weeks in the hospital."

Looking at him sharply, Dara lightly admonished;

"Lucas, there is nothing that we can do to change that; but other than still being a little weak and tired, I feel much better."

Staring at him in contemplation, as if the thought had suddenly occurred to her, her eyes reflected the disappointment that she felt by the idea as she speculated;

"However, if you don't find me attractive anymore because of my condition, then that's a different matter. I'll just have to try and understand."

At that, she turned towards the wall as she pulled the covers over herself. Realizing that she was feeling insecure in her ability to still tempt him, as well as please him, Lucas crossed to her side of the bed and knelt down as he shook his head vehemently;

"I could NEVER find you unattractive, darlin. It's just that your body has been through so much that I don't want to cause you anymore pain or hurt you in any way."

Offering her a small, sad smile he emphasized his plight;

"Believe me, love, you have no idea just how much I hated this bed without you in it with me."

Locking her gaze with his, Dara placed her hand along his cheek as she pleaded;

"Please, make love to me; I missed you so much."

Leaning over and kissing her deeply before lifting his head, Lucas' chest rose and fell sharply as his voice turned husky with desire before confessing;

"I've missed you just as much."

Lucas felt his control give way as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her as she began kissing him. Feeling her enjoyment, as well as his own, Lucas tried hard to control the fervor of his passion, conscious of how frail and sensitive she still was; a fact evidenced by the jerking movement that she made when he traced a pattern across her breasts. The concern showing in his face, his head snapped up in sharp attention as he demanded;

"Did I hurt you?"

Laughing shakily, Dara shook her head as she explained;

"No, I just didn't realize how sensitive that I am there, that's all."

Endeavoring to be even more gentle, Lucas traced a path across her abdomen, where a slight curve was beginning show, as he began raining kisses over her middle, something that found her smiling as she giggled;

"Lucas! That tickles."

Raising his head to offer her a playful smile, he offered;

"Well, if you'd rather I stop."

Shaking her head as she smiled seductively, she ordered huskily;

"Don't you dare!."

Feeling the heat of his own desire rising, Lucas poised himself over his wife to study her face as he asked;

"Are you sure that this won't hurt you, or the baby?"

Dara couldn't help but smile at him tenderly, although she could see that he was just as anxious as she was, she had no doubts that the concern utmost in his mind was her comfort and the baby's safety. Shaking her head as she wrapped her arms around him to pull him closer to her, she promised;

"I'm sure."

Taking her at her word, he braced himself as he studied her carefully for any signs of pain, he found himself infinitely relieved when she began caressing him as she offered lightheartedly;

"See, I told you that it would be alright. Besides, it's really not healthy to practice self denial you know?"

Caught up in her mood, Lucas expounded on her statement as he nibbled at her mouth;

"I can understand why; I don't think that I could live if I couldn't touch you."

In the aftermath of their lovemaking, both having enjoyed finding satisfaction in the other's arms, Dara found herself silently grateful. The truth was that she had wanted this encounter more to ensure herself that the magic and joy that they shared in their lovemaking was still in tact. Shortly after their discovery of her pregnancy and because of the state that her health had taken, they had discontinued their love making; although, at first they had tried to continue as they had been since their wedding night Lucas' concern over the morning sickness and lethargy that she had suffered, due to the drugs that she had been given, he had contented himself to simply hold her close to him through the nights. Even though Dara felt that each time they made love was as magical, special and wonderful as the time before, she had been desperate for this encounter more to prove to herself that the interweaving they enjoyed of, not only, their bodies, but their souls and hearts as well, hadn't been extinguished with her illness.

Lying on his back with his wife curled next to him, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking, Lucas gave voice to the concerns that his wife had tried to keep hidden to herself as he asked;

"Now, are you satisfied that what we had before, we still do?"

Although she had become use to the ease that he seemed to possess when it came to guessing her thoughts at times such as this, Dara still couldn't help it as her eyes widened, disconcerted to have the fact of his knowledge placed in front of her. Sitting up, clutching the sheet to her chest, she stared at him in slight shock as she accused;

"You knew, didn't you? You know the entire time that was one of the reasons that I wanted you to make love to me."

Sitting up as he braced his arm across his upraised knee, Lucas nodded;

"Yes, darlin, I did."

Cupping her face in his hands and gazing deep into her eyes, he explained;

"Sweetheart, listen to me and listen good. I have not become unattracted to you; if anything I find you more beautiful and sexy than ever. What you and I have in or out of bed, that won't ever change; you're it for the rest of my life. Now, I know that you were afraid because it had been so long, but, honey, that wasn't your or my fault and let me assure you, the whole time that you were ill, the only thing that I could think of besides you're getting better was when you would be well enough for me to make love to you again. And, before you begin worrying about it, even when you look like someone's put a basketball up your dress, you'll still be just as beautiful, sexy and desirable to me. Do you understand me? Nothing in this world will ever change my love for you."

Tears streaming down her face, Dara nodded her acceptance of his statement. A concerned smile on his face, Lucas wiped the tears from her cheeks as he speculated;

"I sure hope that those are tears of happiness, although I understand that your hormones aren't exactly normal right now. I guess that I'll just have to keep you so happy that you can't find a reason to cry."

Placing her hand over his, she softly admitted;

"You already do that."

Wiping the last of her tears away, Lucas straightened their pillows before laying back to pull her closely into his embrace after having made certain that she was comfortable, he kissed her gently as he suggested;

"Now that we have satisfied both of our cravings, common sense suggests that you and our baby get some rest. Goodnight, love."

Snuggling closer to him as she closed her eyes, Dara returned;

"Goodnight, I love you too."

The relief that Lucas felt over his wife's returning strength was clearly evident as the days passed by. Her first check up with Matt had been a week after she had been allowed to go home; having missed out on the early stages of Caleb's life, Lucas was determined that he would be included in every aspect of the life that he and Dara had created. When Matt pronounced that her pregnancy was progressing normally, Lucas found himself thrilled; although he still insisted that she still needed to gain at least another ten pounds as she was now three and a half months into her pregnancy; however, the morning sickness had completely passed as well as the side effects that she had suffered from the drugs that Hanson had given her, leaving her able to embrace the miracle of her pregnancy, much to her physician and husband's delight.

Having become very fond of Dara, Mrs. Adams was glad for the opportunity of helping Dara with the house and was even more relieved to see that she wasn't suffering the same maladies that Judith Temple had, nor the problems that Gail Emory had been rumored to have suffered.

Having missed out on Caleb's early life, Lucas found himself thoroughly enjoying his wife's condition; specifically his chance to share in the experience, something he found extremely rewarding. The only disappointment that he felt was when he hadn't been able to accompany Dara for her scheduled ultrasound. Although he had been present when the first one had been done in the Cardiac unit, he desperately wanted to be there, since it would be the first time that Dara would get to see their child and hear its heartbeat. However, since there had been an attempted prison escape upstate he had been forced to forego the appointment to attend a mandatory law enforcement meeting, something that left him in a grim mood. Hearing a light knock on his office door he issued a terse;

"Come in."

Raising his head, he found his mood lightening considerably as he was pleasantly surprised to find his wife's smiling face peeking around the door as she inquired;

"I don't suppose that you would like to hear something surprising, would you?"

Immediately, Lucas rose from his chair, returning her smile as he ushered her into his office to help her lower herself into a chair as he placed a sound kiss on her lips before nodding;

"I could definitely use something to lighten my mood right now, so, yes, I would. So what's the news?"

Before Dara could say anything Ben lightly rapped on the door as he opened it to offer;

"Lucas, I'm sorry but I saw Dara come in and since I was going to get something to drink I'd thought I would see if there was anything that you two wanted."

Lucas couldn't help but find amusement at his deputy's eagerness to please; he knew that Ben had, as had all of the officers, developed a fondness and over protectiveness towards Dara, but since he was afraid of incurring Lucas' jealousy, Ben always masked it in the guise of being hospitable. Finally, Lucas nodded;

"Yeah, Ben, I could use some coffee."

Turning to Dara, he asked;

"Juice?"

At her nod, he advised;

"Some orange juice for Dara, Ben. Thank you."

Once Ben shut the door, Lucas focused his attention once more on his wife as he perched himself on the corner of his desk;

"Now, what did the good doctor have to say that was so surprising?"

Glancing up at him, a shy look on her features, Dara handed him, what appeared to be, a type of photo as she advised;

"Look at that and tell me what you see."

Taking the paper from her hand to glance at it, having already identified it as an ultrasound printout, Lucas shrugged;

"I see the baby, why?"

Shaking her head as she smiled shyly, she motioned to the printout once more;

"Take another look, a good long look."

His brow furrowing in puzzlement, Lucas sat behind his desk as he clicked on his desk lamp and placed the paper beneath it; there, behind the image, he could discern what looked like lines similar to the ones that represented their child, shadowing the original lines. Narrowing his gaze to study it even more closely, he glanced back to his wife as he speculated;

"I think that I'm seeing another baby here. Does this mean what I think it does?"

Pushing herself up from the chair, she came around and elaborated on his discovery;

"See that line? It's another baby, we're having twins."

Staring at it for a moment longer, Lucas found himself shocked; he hadn't contemplated the possibility of twins. Misunderstanding the look on her husband's face, Dara's own look mirrored the sadness that she felt as she ventured softly;

"You've not happy about it, are you?"

Turning to answer her, Lucas, seeing the beginning of tears in her eyes, stood quickly to pull her into his embrace as he rushed to assure her;

"Not happy? You've got to be kidding; I just never considered the idea of twins. Baby, I'm thrilled."

Returning with their juice and coffee, Ben stood watching them his mouth hanging open in shock. Catching sight of him, Lucas grinned broadly as he informed him;

"Ben, we're not having a baby, we're having two babies."

Releasing her from his embrace, Lucas grabbed Dara's hand as headed for the door. Snatching her bag from the chair, he handed it to her as he stated;

"Come on, we're going to celebrate."

Passing by Ben on his way out the door, he threw over his shoulder;

"Ben, I'm off for the night."

Ben couldn't help but shake his head in astonishment as he ventured further into Lucas' office to straighten the paperwork that had been left scattered on the desk. Glancing at the photo on the corner of Lucas' desk of Dara taken on on her wedding day, he couldn't help but pick the frame up to study the image smiling at him as he conceded;

"Well, I guess that we were all right about you; you've certainly worked miracles."

Once Lucas and Dara had been assured by Caleb that, if one brother or sister was good, two would be even better, they began preparing in earnest for the arrival of their children. Although he knew that Dara was more than capable of doing so herself, Lucas had insisted that they hire someone to transform the room that they had chosen into a nursery. He wasn't surprised when she had given him an initial argument that she wanted to be very hands on with the renovation, but Lucas had rationalized;

"Darlin, I understand your point, and believe me, I want that room to be as special as possible for our babies too. I promise you that our influence will show because there won't be a stroke of paint, stick of furniture, toy or anything else in that room that we haven't picked out ourselves. You can sew, crochet, knit or quilt anything you want to put in that room, but, sweetheart, you are not to lift, push or pull a single piece of that furniture or paint one stroke or hang one piece of wallpaper. Me and Caleb will do whatever you need doing in that room and beyond that, we'll hire someone to do what we cant; alright?"

Knowing that this was going to be one of those battles that she simply wasn't going to win, as well as realizing that, since she was beginning to pick up the weight that Matt had insisted she needed to gain, she was beginning to find her stomach more of an obstacle, she simply nodded as she agreed;

"Alright, you're right, I need to take it easier I guess."

Glad that this was not going to be an argument between them, Lucas was able to relax considerably in his concern over his wife's stubbornness. The only unpleasant note came when Mrs. Adams had informed them that she was going to have to leave them. Her daughter's husband had passed unexpectedly and, realizing how dire her child and grandchildren's situation truly was, she agreed to move to Charlotte to provide the help that her daughter so desperately needed.

Lucas and Dara, knowing how much she had already for them as well as what she had done for Gwenna, hastened to assure her that they would manage and that should she ever want it, there would always be a place in their home and family for her. Lucas, determined to make things as easy for the motherly figure as she had tried to make them for Dara and Gwenna, had further surprised her by handing her an envelope the evening before her departure. When Mrs. Adams had opened it she had been shocked to find five thousand dollars enclosed; although she attempted to, Lucas refused all of her arguments for not accepting the money. Offering her a look of sincerity, Lucas plead his case;

"Look, for everything that you've done for, not just me and Dara, but for Gwenna as well, there is no way that we can ever truly repay you. We just hope that this will help get you settled and get your daughter back on stable ground; but if you ever need ANYTHING, you don't hesitate to call us, if we have it, it's yours."

Shortly after Mrs. Adam's departure, Lucas sat in the chair by their bedroom window, watching Dara as she was preparing for bed, giving serious consideration to the problem at hand; that of the fact that they needed someone to help Dara out until after the twins were born. Studying his wife's image in the dresser mirror as she brushed her hair and remembering her brush with death, he was more determined than ever that the remainder or her pregnancy would be as trouble free as possible. However, the true issue was that of finding someone who they could trust that wouldn't pose a threat to their family; after their ordeal with Hanson, Lucas refused to take any chances where his wife or children's safety was concerned.

Continuing to watch his wife as she brushed her hair, Lucas' thoughts began turning towards other avenues of pursuit as he rose from the chair and crossed the space that separated them. Gently, he took the brush from her hand and finished brushing out the dark auburn length of her hair before laying the brush on the dresser surface as he pushed her long hair aside and began nibbling at her earlobe before continuing on a path down the length of her neck as he suggested huskily;

"You know, it's absolutely freezing outside and I think that it would be an absolute waste if we didn't take advantage of the cold outside and the fire inside."

As he spoke, he began easing her robe from her shoulders to let it fall in a silken puddle to the floor as he began sliding the strap of her gown down her arm. He wasn't surprised when her hand reached out to switch the light off; she was now five months pregnant and had begun to show her condition, thanks to weight that Matt had insisted she gain as well as the fact that she was expecting twins, placing his hand over hers to prevent her from extinguishing the light, he shook his head as he placed his free hand along her cheek to bring her gaze up to meet his as he stated emphatically;

"No. I want to see you; all of you."

Although they had continued with the intimate nature of their marriage after Dara's recovery from her illness and they still possessed the same magical interweaving of, both, body and spirit as they had before, the more that Dara's condition became evident the more insecure she seemed to become. It was noticeable in such actions as her insistence that the lights be off when they made love, as well her shyness at being unclothes in her husband's presence.

Lucas knew that his wife's perception of herself wasn't flattering; he knew that the image that she held of her body was that it was becoming misshapen, and distorted. However, Lucas' opinion was quite the opposite; although it was apparent that she was pregnant, the rest of her body was still slender. To him, she was beautiful and alluring, but he knew that in her mind she was unattractive, although he kept assuring her that he found her even more desirable than before, but her opinion of herself remained the same.

Embarrassed, Dara now stood in front of her husband, shaking her head as she ventured;

"Trust me, you don't want to see me. I'm ugly, misshaped, fat, clumsy and I'm sure that you don't want to see the stretch marks that have started."

Placing his finger under her chin, he gently turned her head to meet his gaze as he shook his head at her stubbornness;

"You don't listen, do you? I've told you before that I don't care about all of that; to me, you're beautiful and for your information, you're not misshaped, fat and definitely not ugly. You happen to be pregnant and as far as the stretch marks are concerned, they'll go away after the babies are born. But I want you to get this through that stubborn mind of yours, you don't repulse me,"

Glancing down in shock, Dara could feel the proof of his statement pressing against her swollen abdomen. Her eyes wide with surprise, she brought her eyes back up to look at her husband who was wearing a leering grin on his face as he advised;

"As you can see, you, my dearest wife, have the totally opposite effect on me."

With his last statement, he sent her gown to fall with her robe. He could see the insecurity in her eyes as she stood in front of him and stated;

"I told you that I wasn't as attractive as I used to be."

Tilting her face up to gaze into her eyes, he nodded;

"You're absolutely right, you're not. You're even MORE beautiful then before."

With that he bent and swung her up in his arms before turning to lay her on their bed as he began tracing patterns over her body. When he reached the swell of her stomach he stopped suddenly and stared at Dara in amazement. Understanding why he had stopped, she smiled as he placed his hand across her stomach. Lucas hadn't been certain that he had felt it before, but when felt the same fluttering under his hand, this time with a little more force, he couldn't help but turn to Dara, a look of amazed shock on his face as he demanded;

"Is that the first time that they moved?"

Nodding, Dara conceded;

"I guess that they didn't like my self pity any more than you did?"

Laughing as he sat with his hand on her stomach, fascinated, until the movement ceased, he shook his head as he speculated;

"I know that if they kick with that much force on the outside, I can only imagine what it feels like on the inside."

Caught up in the joy of this new discovery, Dara couldn't help but smile as she shook her head;

"It wasn't too bad."

Catching her gaze and holding it, Lucas turned serious once more as he braced himself over her;

"Now, do you believe me? You're not fat, ugly, or misshapen; you're pregnant and without a doubt the most beautiful woman that I've ever seen."

Encircling his neck with her arms, Dara smiled at him lovingly as she nodded;

"I believe you and I also believe that if you don't make love to me right now, I'm going to go crazy."

Lucas offered;

"I'm always willing to help a lady in distress, especially when she's my wife."

With that he lowered his head to kiss her passionately as they lost themselves in each other's arms.


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER 20**

The next morning found the ringing of the doorbell answering the dilemma that Mrs. Adams' absence had created. Hurrying down the staircase for breakfast, Lucas yelled in the direction of the kitchen;

"I'VE GOT IT, DARA."

Opening the door, he was shocked to find his grandmother standing there, clutching her coat close to her as she exclaimed;

"Oh, I swear that I ain't never felt such cold before."

Glancing up to her grandson and finding him gaping at her in surprise, she motioned to the door;

"Well, are you just going to let my suitcases sit there until they decide to walk in by themselves?"

Regaining his composure, Lucas grabbed the three suitcases and lined them against the wall before turning to address his grandmother;

"Mama, what are you doing here?"

Astonished, Lucilla shook her head;

"Well, now isn't that nice? Here I come to help you and Dara out until she has that baby and not even a 'glad to see you'."

Having heard voices, Dara made her way up the hallway to see who it was;

"Lucas, who was at the door?"

Seeing her grandmother in law, she smiled warmly;

"Mama, what are you doing here, why didn't you call and let me know that you were coming?"

Reaching over, Dara hugged the woman in welcome, when she pulled back, she couldn't help but notice the look of shock that the older woman wore as she demanded, concern evident in her voice;

"Lord, child, are you sure that you still have four more months to go?"

Puzzled by the tone in the woman's voice, Dara turned to her husband before explaining;

"I'm sorry, Mama Lucy, I thought that Lucas told you, I guess that with everything going on we forgot. We're expecting twins."

Lucilla exhaled a sigh of relief as she smiled brightly, relieved for the explanation of why the girl looked farther along than what she was as she offered;

"You are? Well then I guess that it's a good thing that I came to help you two out then, isn't it?"

Dara glanced to Lucas in question as he shrugged his broad shoulders in answer to her silent inquiry regarding Mama Lucy's offer. Turning to his grandmother, Lucas hugged her as he sensed her uncertainty in her welcome as he offered;

"We're glad to see you, Mama. Dara just made some breakfast so let's go to the kitchen."

Once Dara had placed her husband's plate in front of him and gotten Lucilla a cup of coffee, as well as a glass of juice for herself, she eased herself into a chair as Lucilla demanded;

"Well, was I wrong in thinking that the two of you need some help until those babies are born?"

Trying to address the subject as tactfully as possible, Dara placed her hand over the woman's as she explained;

"To be honest, Mama, we didn't think of calling you because we thought that it might be too much for you."

Her eyes widening in disbelief, Lucilla chastised the girl lightly as she patted her hand affectionately;

"I ain't THAT old, girl. I can handle the cooking and help clean and such. Besides that, I want to be here when my great-grandchildren come into the world. So, do I stay?"

Exchanging looks of silent query, Dara finally shrugged as she rationalized;

"Well, we know that we can trust her and she does have the right to be here and to see the babies when they're born. I don't mind if she stays."

Before she could say anything more, the phone began ringing; Dara excused herself to answer it in another room. Taking advantage of her absence, Lucas cautioned his grandmother softly, yet firmly;

"Mama, I truly do appreciate that you want to stay and help us out. And I'm glad that you're here, but I'm warning you; I meant what I said before I married Dara, no interference of any kind in either our or the babies lives. Do we understand each other?"

Nodding her agreement with her grandson's dictates, Lucilla promised;

"Alright, we understand each other, I'm just here to help her out. By the way, how is she doing, is she really better?"

Lucas nodded as he explained;

"Crower says that she's progressing better than what he thought she would, especially considering what she was put through. He seems to think that she should have a normal time from here on out."

Neither had a chance to elaborate as Dara walked into the room, a look of shock and disbelief on her face as she spoke, to no one in particular;

"That was Kara,. Daddy had another heart attack and the doctors told her that she needed to call all of us in."

The reality of the situation fully sinking in, she turned to her husband as she stated firmly;

"I have to go to Alabama. I checked the airlines and, with the connections and what have you, driving will be a little faster and more convenient. I'll leave in a couple of hours; I need to pack and I guess I better go by the bank and get some cash, just in case."

Seeing the unshed tears that were glistening in her eyes as she tried to come to grips with the idea of losing her one remaining parent so soon after having lost her mother, Lucas rose and quickly crossed the space between them as he took her in his arms and pulled her close to him;

"Darlin, it's alright to cry, you need to let it out, holding this in isn't good for either you or the babies."

He could feel her initial resistance before, finally she laid her head against his chest and let the tears of frustration, worry, pain and impending loss fall from her eyes. When she quieted, she pulled back slightly to look into her husband's face as she offered a sad smile as she observed wryly;

"I got your shirt all wet."

Shrugging carelessly, Lucas brushed it off;

"Well, it's not like there aren't a dresser and closet full of others upstairs and it's not like we don't own a dryer."

Placing his hand on her cheek as he wiped the tears away and recalling her earlier statement, he advised her;

"Now, as far as you going to Alabama; no, you're not going, WE"RE going. I'm sorry, baby, but I'm not about to let you go by yourself. I've got some time coming anyway, so I'll let Ben know whats going on when I drop by the station on my way to the bank. You and Mama go get us packed and we'll leave in about an hour or so when I get back."

With that he placed a gentle kiss on her cheek as he ventured up the hallway to grab his jacket and leave. Lucilla, having remained quiet, rose form her chair to take Dara's hand in hers as she patted it comfortingly before offering,

"Come on, child. Let's get you two packed and ready to go."

Dara wasn't certain how long she had been asleep, but it seemed as if it was the blink of an eye. The last thing that she could consciously remember was when they had stopped to fill the car up, just outside of the South Carolina state line and the next thing she knew, Lucas was waking her as they came to the exit for the hospital. Dara didn't even question how Lucas just seemed to know the way without any directions from her as he gently squeezed her hand;

"Darlin, we're almost there."

She woke and blinked her eyes several times as she rubbed the sleep from them before recognizing the familiar sites of her hometown. She had offered to help drive, but Lucas has insisted that wasn't necessary and simply allowed her to sleep during the course of the trip. When he turned into the drive of the hospital, Lucas dropped Dara at the entrance while he parked the car, advising her he would join her momentarily.

Dara hurried to the ICU unit where she was stopped and asked to identify herself, the guard explaining that only immediate family were allowed beyond the doors. Offering the guard a nod of understanding she identified herself;

"Dara Chambers Buck. I'm Alex Chambers' daughter. By the way, my husband will be up in a moment."

Checking the list, the guard nodded his approval as he pushed the button to remotely unlock the entrance door. Hurrying through the doorway, she quickly spotted the temporary nameplate on her father's room. Quietly and cautiously, she pushed the door open and found herself grateful for the training she had received as part of her profession when it came to controlling her emotions. She could see that her father had been hooked to various monitors as well as his IV's. Although this type of sight wasn't unfamiliar to her, she found herself averting her eyes from the sight of her father, lying helpless, in his bed as she crossed the space between the door and the chair where her sister, Kara, sat, apparently deep in thought.

Kara found herself startled by the gentle touch on her shoulder as she turned, shocked to find her younger sister standing over her. Rising from her chair, she hugged her sister tightly before stepping back a moment to take in Dara's obvious condition as she observed wryly;

"Well, it's definitely apparent that you're having twins, isn't it?"

Offering a brief nod of agreement, Dara came to the point of her visit as she motioned towards their father;

"What have the doctors said?"

Motioning for Dara to follow her into the hallway to avoid waking their father, Kara pulled the door to before she explained the doctor's prognosis;

"They've found another blockage, that's what's caused this attack. The doctor said that the only thing that they can do to clear the blockage is an angioplasty, but the problem is that his heart is so weak from the attack that his chances aren't very good. But, if the blockage isn't cleared..."

Dara completed her sister's statement;

"Then the blood flow to his heart will get less and less and the strain on his heart will get worse and worse."

At her sister's nod of agreement of her observation, Dara couldn't contain her disbelief as she demanded incredulously;

"So our options are that he, either, has the procedure and probably dies on the table, or he doesn't have it and has to cope with the pain until he dies."

Kara shook her head sadly as she agreed;

"Unfortunately, those are the only two options that they've offered."

Turning towards the observation window of her father's room as she studied him, glad that he was, at least, sleeping peacefully at the moment, Dara found herself hoping and praying that a better solution would present itself. Finally, although she already knew the answer, she asked;

"What does Daddy say about it?"

She knew when her sister had sighed so heavily that her assumption as to the answer was correct, especially when Kara explained;

"Daddy says that he would rather die fighting than just lay there and give in."

Studying her sister for a moment, Kara placed her hand on her arm as she asked in concern;

"Look, Jack will be here any minute, when did you eat last?"

Dara hadn't thought about it until her sister mentioned it, but she suddenly realized that she really hadn't eaten very much of anything that day. Shrugging, she explained;

"I really don't remember. Lucas let me sleep for most of the trip. He should be up in a second, he's parking the car."

Motioning towards the waiting room, Kara ventured;

"Well, it's almost time for the shift change anyway, so when Lucas and Jack get up here then we'll go get something to eat and when we come back, Daddy should be awake."

Nodding her agreement, Dara followed her sister to the waiting room to wait for their husbands.

Although Lucas had parked the car rather quickly, he had lingered to give Dara some time with her sister and father, thinking that it might also give her the opportunity to speak to the doctor in private. Waiting patiently in the elevator, on his way to the floor where ICU could be found, he couldn't help but notice the covert looks that he kept getting from the only other person in the enclosed space. Lucas knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that he had never seen the man before; although he had to admit that there seemed to be something slightly familiar about him. The man was just slightly shorter than Lucas and slightly older, with a touch of gray here and there in his dark hair.

Lucas was about to dismiss his curiosity, having more pressing matters on his mind, when the man inquired;

"Excuse me, but aren't you Lucas Buck?"

Frustrated at being taken by surprise, Lucas glared at the man in irritation as he demanded;

"So what if I am; just why the hell do you need to know?"

His eyes widening as he held up his hands in a placating gesture, the man offered;

"Hey, no offense intended."

Then, offering his hand, he introduced himself;

"I'm Jack Tanner, Kara's husband."

Shaking his head in exasperation, Lucas offered an apology as he explained;

"I'm sorry about that, it's just being a few hundred miles from home and someplace I've never been, when you're Sheriff and someone recognizes you, it can be a little unsettling."

Accepting his brother in law's hand he greeted;

"It's nice to meet you."

Jack nodded as he apologized;

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out. I recognized you from the wedding picture that Kara keeps on our mantel."

Furrowing his brow in contemplation, he asked;

"By the way, where's Dara?"

Pointing towards the upper floors, Lucas explained;

"I let her go on ahead while I parked the car. "

Before they could say anything more the bell signaled that they had reached their designated floor. Stepping into the hallway they noticed their wives sitting in the lobby area, awaiting their arrival. Noticing her husband, Kara greeted him as she motioned towards Lucas;

"Jack, have you met Dara's husband, Lucas?"

Nodding Jack chuckled;

"Yeah, after I freaked him out; I recognized him from their wedding picture."

Turning to greet his favored sister in law, Jack demanded good naturedly;

"Well, baby sister, don't I get a hug anymore?"

Watching as she pushed herself up from her chair to greet him and noting her obvious condition, hugging her close he stepped back to look study her more closely before teasing;

"Well, it's a good thing that you've got twins in there; otherwise, that kid would weigh more than you do."

Hitting his arm in mock anger, Dara returned his teasing as she quipped;

"Now is that anyway to talk to your favorite sister in law, especially in my condition?"

Puzzlement furrowing her brow as she glanced between her brother in law and her husband she demanded;

"By the way, what do you mean; 'you freaked my husband out?' What did you do?"

Chagrined, he explained;

"Let's just say that I should have remembered what your husband does for a living before asking who he was."

Comprehension dawning in her eyes, Kara's jaw dropped as she turned to Lucas to offer;

"I am so sorry."

Turning back to her husband she chastised;

"Jack! As many friends that you have who are cops and you didn't think about it?"

Shaking his head as he held his hand up to stall his sister in law's tirade at her husband, Lucas offered;

"It's no big deal, Kara; really. I knew that there was something about him that seemed familiar but I just couldn't place him right then, that's all."

Turning his attention to another matter, he asked;

"Didn't you say that they're about to change shifts?"

At his sister in law's nod, he turned to Dara;

"Then I think it might be a good idea if we got some food into you, young lady. You didn't really eat anything today."

Seeing her sister and brother in law's amusement at her husband's take charge attitude, Dara motioned for them to lead the way as she rolled her eyes before replying sarcastically;

"Yes, sir."

Lucas couldn't help but chuckle as he placed his arm around her shoulders and followed them to the elevator.

Once they had given the waitress their orders, Kara broached the subject of their accommodations;

"I hope that you guys don't mind a double bed, it's either that or bunk beds. Although Brittany hates sharing a bed with Jacob, I can't say that I blame her as much as he kicks."

Giving a slight shake of his head, Lucas ventured;

"We don't want to impose, we'll just stay at a hotel."

Shaking his head vehemently, Jack silenced his reservations;

"No way, besides that it's not an imposition; we always like having Dara stay with us."

Once the arrangements had been settled and they finished their meal, Kara glanced to her watch as she stated;

"Shift change should be over with now. If you guys are ready, we'll go back to the hospital."

Once they checked in with the guard at the security desk, Lucas and Jack lagged behind to converse with the guard. who Jack knew, allowing their wives the chance to speak to their father's doctor. However, both sister's found themselves shocked when Dara reached out to grasp the door handle only to find the door swinging open as they faced the last person that either had expected to see; their brother., Seth Instinctively, both sisters took a step back as he stepped into the hallway and pulled the door closed behind him to glare at them both. Noticing his younger sister's obvious condition, his eyes widened before narrowing as he sneered and remarked snidely;

"Well, well; it looks as if the perfect little angel went and got herself knocked up. Tell me something, baby sister, who's the guilty party; that stud that you had at Mama's funeral, or just someone that you decided to fall into bed with? "

Ignoring both sisters' gasps of shock as his vulgarity, he pursued the subject further;

"Just out of curiosity, did he even bother to offer to marry you?"

Although he had felt reckless enjoyment at taunting his younger sister, feeling brave at seeing her without protection, he found himself frozen in fear as he heard the voice of the last person he ever wanted to see again, respond to his taunting;

"Actually, I married your sister a good six months before she found herself in this condition and let me assure you, I'm the 'guilty party', as you put it."

Seth turned, the dread evident in his face as he came face to face with the person he feared most in the world; blanching at the sight of Lucas, Seth turned and excused himself to leave. Breathing a sigh of relief as he waited for the elevator, he failed to notice the person standing behind him until he heard him speak;

"You know, I would have thought that our last conversation would have convinced you of just how extremely dangerous the past time of belittling and upsetting your sister truly is. You see, Seth, although she may be your sister, she's MY wife and that's something that I don't take lightly."

Turning, Seth stood gaping in fear at Lucas as he realized that he had not even heard the man's approach. Reaching around to press the elevator button for him, Lucas locked eyes with the man as he swore;

"Unless you want to find yourself taking advantage of the services that this facility has to offer, I strongly suggest that you limit your conversations to MY wife to a simple hello and goodbye. I don't like seeing her upset and especially considering the fact that she's carrying MY babies, seeing her upset in her condition would rile me to no end. Now, do we understand each other?"

Seth simply nodded his agreement, unable to trust his voice at that moment as the elevator chimed, signaling its arrival. Quickly he stepped into the car, grateful for the chance to escape his brother in law.

Lucas joined Jack in the waiting room and accepted the cup of coffee that Jack offered as the man asked;

"Is Seth at it again with Dara?"

Nodding as he took a sip of the liquid, Lucas explained;

"Yes, I don't think that he realized I was here, but I guarantee that he won't do it again, not unless he wants to be a patient here."

Noticing the intense look in his brother in law's eyes, Jack couldn't help but remember the description of the events during Gwenna's funeral that his wife had shared with him. One thing that he had no doubts about after having met the man; Lucas Buck would definitely make good any promises he made to anyone foolish enough to pose a threat to Dara.

Once Kara and Dara had met with their father's doctors and she had been filled in on the situation's current status, Dara made her way to Alex's room, to spend a few minutes alone with him. Taking a deep, steadying breath, Dara pushed the door open and found her father awake, when he turned and saw her, he offered her a weak smile as she came closer to his bed. Making sure that her own smile of greeting was firmly in place, she lowered herself into the chair near his bed as she attempted to offer a cheerful greeting;

"You know, Daddy, if you wanted me to come home for a visit all you had to do was ask."

Waving her hand to acknowledge the monitors and equipment, she quipped;

"You didn't have to go to all of this trouble."

Appreciating his daughter's attempt at humor for his sake, Alex chuckled weakly;

"I just thought that I'd make sure that you came. By the way, how are you doing? It looks like you could be carrying a football team in there."

Shaking her head as she giggled at the thought, she offered;

"No, not that many. Actually, I'm carrying twins, although I admit they seem to kick like punters sometimes."

Studying his youngest child's appearance, he motioned to her stomach as he asked, somewhat shyly; 

"Could I?"

Understanding his request, Dara pushed herself up from the chair as she sat on the side of the bed and took her father's hand to place it where she had just felt the babies move. She was thankful that she could share the miracle with him when he smiled and nodded;

"You know something, Little Bit? Marriage and motherhood really seem to agree with you; you look good and more importantly, you look happy."

Taking her father's hand in hers she nodded;

"It's not hard to look it when you are, Daddy. But I can't take all the credit; Lucas makes it easy to be happy."

Patting her swollen stomach, she quipped;

"Of course these guys and Caleb don't exactly hurt the equation either."

Alex couldn't help but nod, grateful that his daughter had, indeed, found happiness and that he had not made a mistake in giving her into Lucas' keeping. He hated having to do so, but Alex turned serious as he stated, rather than asked;

"Dara, you know that I won't be here to see my grandchildren born, don't you Little Bit?"

Huffing in frustration, although more with the effort that she was exerting to keep her tears at bay then at her father's statement, Dara shook her head as she admonished;

"Come on, Daddy, we don't know that. Weren't you and Mama the ones who always told me that only God knows anything for sure?"

Although it was thin, Alex couldn't help but offer his daughter a smile as he shook his head;

"Dara Cherice, you know, just as well as I do, how things are. But I want you to know something; I love you with all of my heart and no matter what, I'll still be a part of you and of your children."

Alex could see by the way she lowered her head, that she was trying to gain control over her raging emotions. Giving her a few moments before squeezing her hand, he asked;

"By the way, where's your husband?"

Motioning towards the door, she offered;

"He's waiting outside with Jack; why?"

Nodding towards the portal, Alex pleaded;

"Would you please go get him? I'd like to talk to him for a minute."

Pushing herself up from the side of the bed, Dara hurried to comply with her father's request. Finding Lucas sipping a cup of coffee in the waiting area, she motioned for him. Seeing the movement, Lucas approached her, the concern evident on his face as he demanded;

"Honey, what is it; are you alright?"

Nodding, Dara explained;

"Yes, I'm fine, but Daddy wants to see you for a few minutes."

Leading the way to her father's room, Dara waited outside the door as Lucas entered. He could see how frail his father in law appeared and couldn't help but worry, not only, for the man but for his children as well, especially Dara, knowing how she felt about her father. Lucas waited until Alex silently motioned to a chair before taking a seat and giving the man his attention. Alex turned and pinned his son in law with his eyes as he offered in a weak voice;

"You know, when Dara said that she wanted to marry you, I had a lot of reservations, even with Gwenna's blessings. I could see that you're a hard, cold and dangerous man, when you choose to be. But, I would also have to be a blind fool not to see how happy my daughter is; she glows and that's not just from being pregnant, that comes from being happy and for that I thank you very much. I need to ask you to make me a promise, Lucas."

Although he was fairly certain as to what his father in law wanted him to promise, Lucas knew that it was important to give the man as much security and relief from worry as possible, so to that end he nodded;

"You know I'll do whatever you ask me to, especially where Dara is concerned; what is it you want me to do?"

Waving his hand towards the observation window where Kara and Dara were standing with their backs to the room, Alex observed;

"No matter how much my girls might not like the fact, I'm pretty sure that , both, you and Jack are realistic enough to realize that I'm dying."

Lucas knew the moment that he had met the man, that nothing short of the truth was going to be tolerated. That being the case, he didn't try to offer hollow words of comfort, but rather he gave a brief nod as he offered;

"Yes, sir, you're right, I'm not particularly happy about the fact, but you're right, I'm aware of it. Tell me what I can do to make it a little easier for you."

Lucas couldn't help but feel moved by the look of sincere pleading in the man's eyes as he speculated;

"I know my daughter, Lucas; when I'm gone she's going to feel like a lost ship with no home port; so to speak."

Although he understood the man's concern, Lucas couldn't help but shake his head vehemently as he vowed;

"She has a home; OUR home. And as long as I live she won't ever be by herself."

Alex nodded his understanding of Lucas position as he continued;

"I know that, Lucas. What I want from you is your promise that you will NEVER mistreat her and never give her cause to regret loving you as much as she does."

Lucas understood the man's concerns for his daughter and was more than willing to reaffirm his position on the matter of Dara as he took the man's hand in his own before locking eyes with him;

"Alex, I made her that promise on the day that I married her. I NEVER want her to regret deciding to spend her life with me and I would kill anyone who ever mistreated her, so that being the case, no offense, but if I'm willing to do that then I'm damn sure not about to do what I'd kill anyone else for doing"

Certain of his son in law's sincerity, Alex offered a flicker of a smile before offering softly;

"Thank you."

Later that evening, the adults sat around the kitchen table in the Tanner house, discussing the various topics when Dara turned to her sister to inquire;

"By the way, when is Mara supposed to get here?"

Sighing in frustration, Kara shook her head. Dara stared at her sister in disbelief;

"Kar, I know that, in our own ways, we all have a twisted sense of humor at times, and I can't really say that this is a good time for it, but please tell me that you're joking."

The regret evident in her eyes, Kara explained;

"I really wish that I was, but no. Apparently, Craig isn't sending the child support for Mikey, so that being the case, money is pretty tight for her right now. She just can't afford to make the trip."

Biting at her bottom lip in indecision, Dara considered for a moment; she had the money that had been left from her savings before she and Lucas were married, as well what had been left from their mother's life insurance policy. Since Lucas had insisted on paying the remainder or the medical and funeral bills, not to mention refusing to allow her to repay him, she had simply put the money into their joint savings and checking accounts. The fact was that Lucas never said anything about how much she spent, stating that, if anything, he wished she would spoil herself and be a little more extravagant then what she was, however, what she was now considering was no small amount and she wasn't certain what her husband's reaction might be. Money had never been an issue in their marriage and she didn't want it to become one now.

Lucas sat watching the look on his wife's face, already aware of what she was considering but knowing that she was concerned as to his reaction. He knew that Dara was very economically minded and far from ignorant when it came to financial matters, the was that she really had no idea as to just how financially comfortable they truly were. Seeking to ease her mind, wordlessly, he got up and took the cordless phone and phone book from the desk by the kitchen door, returning to his seat, he set both in front of his wife before reaching into his hip pocket to pull out his wallet as he pulled a credit card from its slot to lay on the phone book as he offered;

"See about booking her and your nephew on a flight, as soon as possible."

He could see the tears of affection brimming in her eyes and, oblivious to anyone else's presence, he reached over to brush the tears from her eyes as he lightly admonished;

"Well, are you going to cry or call the airlines?"

Placing her hand over his as she cleared her throat, she asked;

"Do you have any idea just how much I love you?"

Nodding, Lucas offered;

"Hopefully, as much as I do you. Now, call the airlines."

With that he picked up the phone to hand it to her to punctuate his point. After she had called the airlines and made the reservations, they called Mara. At first, she wasn't thrilled; feeling as if she were accepting charity. However, after her sisters and Lucas spoke to her and explained the gravity of the situation; she became more receptive to the idea. Finally, after all of the arrangements had been made, everyone went to their respective rooms to find their rest for the night.

Once behind the closed door of their appointed room, Lucas studied Dara as she tugged at her bottom lip with her teeth, something he knew was a sign of her concern, as she brushed her hair while getting ready for bed. Lucas finished undressing as he climbed into the bed as Dara sat her hairbrush on the nightstand as she removed her robe. Lucas lifted his arm to allow her to rest her head against his chest; deciding to open the door to allow her to appease her curiosity he ventured;

"Alright, I can see that your curiosity is peeked and I'm pretty sure that I know what about so go ahead and ask."

Shaking her head in amazement, Dara couldn't deny that he was right in his assumption. The truth was that, in the beginning of their relationship it had disturbed her greatly that Lucas could so easily fathom her thoughts. However, shortly after their marriage, she had grown accustomed to it; in fact she had even come to depend on his knowing her so well. Sighing in resignation, not even bothering to deny that he was right, she simply asked;

"What did you and Daddy discuss?"

Although he knew that she was going to ask about his and her father's conversation, he also knew that the inevitable death of her one remaining parent would greatly unsettle her. Lucas couldn't help but feel torn, in her condition he didn't want to overly upset her, but, he had also vowed to tell her the truth in their marriage, so to that end, he braced himself as he began carefully;

"He made me promise that I would take care of you and keep you safe and happy."

Deciding that it needed to be said, he asked her softly;

"You know that he knows he's dying, don't you?"

He could tell that she was trying desperately hard to hold back her tears as she nodded her head;

"I don't want to know, but yes, I do."

Lucas pulled her even closer to him as he put his other arm around her to vow;

"Darlin, I'm sorry but you're not alone. I'll always be here with you and for you."

He could feel her body shudder as her tears began falling; waiting until she had calmed down and realizing that she had fallen asleep, he pulled the covers around her and settled her against him as he offered softly;

"It's alright, honey. You go ahead and go to sleep now; you and the babies need your rest."

Rubbing her back in slow circles to help her relax even further he was relieved to feel the steady and deep rise and fall of her chest.

Early the next morning found Kara up early, as usual, to efficiently and silently get her children off to school. Once she had them on their way, she turned her attention towards fixing breakfast for the adults. She didn't realize that Lucas was behind her until she turned around to come face to face with him. Startled she lost her grip on the coffee cup that she had been holding and watching as it slipped from her grip, only to be caught effortlessly by her brother in law. Handing the mug back to her, Lucas looked slightly chagrined as he offered;

"I'm sorry about that, I didn't mean to scare you."

Kara, who had placed her hand over her heart, smiled sheepishly;

"You definitely have a way of sneaking up on people; don't you?"

Shrugging his shoulder in a non committal way, Lucas offered;

"I guess I just walk softly."

Kara couldn't help but study his appearance. As usual, he was dressed in dress black jeans and boots, but today he had chosen to wear a blue long sleeve shirt that was buttoned to his collar, as well as a black sued vest. Chuckling a little, Kara contemplated;

"Well, I guess that I'm just used to my tribe sounding like a herd of elephants."

Handing him a cup of coffee before she took her own chair to sip her own mug, she motioned towards the bedrooms as she asked;

"Is Dara still asleep?"

Nodding, Lucas explained;

"Yes, I didn't want to wake her, she needs the rest."

Eyeing her brother in law critically, Kara demanded;

"Is she really doing better or is that just what she tells us to keep us from worrying?"

Dara and Lucas had decided not to divulge the full details of what had almost happened as a result of the episode with Hanson; rather they simply offered the explanation that he had mis-prescribed some medication for her that had caused a severe adverse reaction. Unwilling to betray his wife's trust in him, he simply offered;

"She had a pretty rough time at the beginning of her pregnancy, but now she's doing just fine. Her new doctor is thrilled with her progress; he didn't think that she would recover as quickly as she did."

Satisfied that he was telling her the truth, Kara simply nodded as Dara walked into the kitchen, fully dressed and ready for the day. Although he could tell that she was anxious to leave for the hospital, Lucas had insisted that she, at least, eat some toast and drink a glass of juice before they left. After Jack had joined them and the itinerary for the day had been decided; with Jack and Kara picking Mara up from the airport, Lucas and Dara left for the hospital.

Dara and Lucas arrived at the door to Alex's room just in time to run into Seth, who was leaving. Having seen him first, Lucas placed his arm protectively around his wife's shoulders, discouraging her brother from harassing her. Seeing the look on his brother in law's face, Seth simply nodded and mumbled;

"Hello."

Dara couldn't help but notice the pained look on her brother's face as he left their father's room. Despite herself, she couldn't help but, haltingly, touch his arm as she softly asked;

"Is he worse?"

Seth looked at his sister warily, but remembering his mother's final words, he simply nodded his head at her sadly. Taking a moment to brace herself, she entered the room and realized that her father had indeed gotten much worse. He was a great deal paler than what he had been the day before and was now laboring to breath, even with the oxygen. The doctor examining him approached her as he stated;

"Mrs. Buck, he's gotten much worse and if we're going to do the procedure then is has to be now."

Glancing to her father, Dara asked; 

"Does he know?"

Nodding, the doctor explained;

"Yes, and he still wantsto have the procedure."

At that moment, Alex motioned for his daughter to come closer, when she leaned next to him so that he wouldn't have to strain to speak she couldn't help but feel her heart sink as he begged;

"Please Little Bit, sign the papers, let them at least try."

Blinking back the tears that were threatening to fall, Dara took a deep, steadying breath as she turned to the doctor;

"Bring me the papers; I'll sign them."

She only had to wait a short time before a nurse entered and handed her a clipboard with the necessary documents that needed her signature. Turning to her father in uncertainty, she asked softly;

"Daddy, are you sure?"

When he nodded his head frantically, she sighed in resignation. Lucas could see her inner struggle with her desire to fulfill her father's request, as well as the feeling that she was signing his death warrant. Seeking to ease her burden, he touched her hand gently as he offered;

"Honey, do you want me to sign them?

Shaking her head sadly, Dara looked into his eyes, the sadness deep in her own as she explained;

"No, love, it has to be one of us and it has to be now. I'll take the responsibility."

He couldn't help but wish, as she quickly scribbled her name across the bottom of the forms, with everything inside of him that he could fix this for her, but he knew how she would react if he were to even suggest it. Watching as she handed the clipboard over to the doctor, who explained that she only had a few minutes until they would be removing her father to prepare him for the procedure, Lucas couldn't help but feel his own heart burn for the pain that he could see she was enduring.

Dara approached her father's bedside and took his hand, no longer able to deny the fact that this may well be the last time that she would see him. Weakly she felt her father squeeze her hand as he offered her a weak smile before asking;

"Can I tell you something, Little Bit? Your mother was right; out of all four of you kids, you have the most special spirit, but don't tell your brother or sisters that I said that."

Trying hard to hold back her tears as she leaned over to place a kiss on his cheek and hug him tightly, Dara promised;

"I love you, Daddy and I always will."

Before they could say anything more, the room suddenly filled with nurses and orderlies who had come to prepare her father for surgery. Once they were ushered from the room a nurse asked them to go to the waiting room that was designated for families whose loved ones were having surgery. Dara was about to object when the nurse smiled kindly at her as she offered;

"I'll let your sister know where you're at."

Lucas nodded his thanks to the woman as he led his wife to the elevators. Just as they reached it, the doors slid open to admit her sisters, Mikey and Jack to the floor. Seeing the look on her sister's face, Kara asked the question that she really didn't want the answer to;

"He's gotten worse, hasn't he?"

Sadly, Dara nodded, not able to trust herself to speak without crying. Seeing his wife's battle for control of her emotions, Lucas supplied the explanation;

"They're taking him to surgery now. They want us to wait downstairs, the doctor said that they weren't able to wait any long and Alex asked that they go ahead and perform the surgery."

Falling back on her need to have something to occupy her thoughts, Kara stated decisively;

"Let's go down and wait then."

Once they were settled in the waiting room, Mara hugged her expectant sister as she expressed her gratitude for the financial assistance;

"Thank you for the paying for our trip, Dara. I know that it's not the best way to get to see you, but I'm glad that I have. Besides, I think that we should all be here."

Dara shrugged nonchalantly as she advised;

"You should really thank Lucas, he was the one who suggested it."

Not wanting his generosity made common knowledge, Lucas brushed off Mara's expressions of gratitude;

"I knew that it was important to Dara for you to be here."

Although the three sisters tried to keep their conversation light, Lucas couldn't help but feel the air of impending sorrow that was hanging in the air between the four Chambers children, even Seth, who chose to sit separate from his sisters, remained quiet through the wait. Finally, after an hour of waiting, the receptionist called;

"Chambers' family?"

Turning towards the woman, Kara spoke up;

"That's us."

Nodding her acknowledgment, the woman advised;

"The doctor will be down in just a moment."

Turning to her sisters, a look of hope in her eyes, Mara considered;

"She really didn't look sympathetic, do you think that, maybe, everything went alright?"

Having remained mostly silent, Dara shook her head as she spoke;

"You can't go by that, Mara; most hospital personal, especially ones who deal with these sort of situations are trained to be impassive to help them avoid attachment."

Lucas couldn't help but stare at his wife, he had never seen her as detached as she now was, although he understood her reasoning. He had seen Dara deal with more than her share of emotional issues since he had first met her; he had quickly realized that, although she was a strong woman and faced things head on, she didn't necessarily deal with the emotional aspect of those things until she was ready to. That being the case, she usually detached herself until she was ready to face the emotional part of whatever the issue was. Although it gave her an amazing edge when it came to her profession, personally, it tended to be more of an obstacle then a help. Before he could give anymore consideration to his thoughts about her detachment, the surgeon entered the room and approached the group encompassed.

All of them stood to take whatever news the man had to offer; Lucas glanced down at Dara, who had unconsciously taken his hand for support. Pulling the cap from his head, the man sighed regretfully as he shook his head;

"I'm very sorry, but there wasn't anything else that we could do. We knew how slim his chances of surviving the procedure were, but, as you know, he insisted that we, at least, attempt it anyway. I really wish that there was something more that I could say, but all that I can do is to tell you how truly sorry I am. Someone will be in contact with you about the arrangements a little later on if you would like to go home."

Seeing that everyone else was in deep shock, Lucas extended his hand he man as he offered;

"I'm sure that you did what you could. Thank you for your efforts."

Nodding his head in sympathy for their loss, he left to fill out whatever forms were necessary.

Lucas couldn't help but notice how each of the sisters was reacting to their father's death. Mara was silently weeping, wiping her tears away as quickly as they appeared. Kara was very quiet as she turned to her husband as she ventured softly;

"Let's go home and call the funeral home."

Naturally, Dara's reaction was the one that had him the most concerned. Her face had taken on a blank look, as if she was trying to comprehend what was happening; the pain, however, was more than evident in her eyes. Realizing what was about to happen and not wanting the floodgate of her emotions to open in front of everyone, he agreed with Kara's statement;

"I think that's a good idea, let's get out of here."

Putting his arm around her waist, he guided her out of the hospital and led her to their car. Once they were settled inside, with no one else around, Dara stated sadly;

"He's really gone, isn't he?"

Shaking her head, she confessed;

"I feel like an orphan; now there's no one to go home to, is there?"

Quickly pulling her into his embrace, Lucas tried to comfort her;

"Honey, let it out; you cry all you want, but, darlin, you're not alone. I'm always going to be here with you and for you."

Letting her cry her sadness out, Lucas held her until he realized that she had quieted a great deal. Pulling away slightly, he lifted her face to look into her eyes as he wiped her tears away as he asked;

"Are you ready to go now?"

Silently she nodded before turning to stare out her window as she began crying quietly. When they reached Kara's house, he glanced over and realized that she had fallen asleep and knowing how desperately she needed the rest, he got out and opened her door; deciding to let her sleep, he lifted her in his arms and made his way into the house. When Kara and Mara saw their sister being carried in, they immediately rose from their chairs, but when Lucas simply shook his head and continued to their room, the remained where they were.

Kicking the door shut behind him, Lucas, gently, placed her on the bed and began loosening her clothing and removing her shoes to make her more comfortable before closing the curtains,. Turning to pull a blanket over her, he placed a kiss on her forehead before turning to leave the room. He had known when he saw the looks of worry that both of his sisters in law were wearing when he came into the house that he would be set upon as soon as he entered the kitchen, and true to his prediction, both had demanded;

"What happened, is Dara alright?"

Pouring himself a cup of coffee, Lucas nodded;

"She's fine, she fell asleep in the car and I didn't want to wake her, she and the babies need the rest, especially right now."

Lucas couldn't help but notice as he took a seat at the table that Kara was going over an abundance of paperwork, assuming that it centered around the final arrangements for Alex, he asked;

"I know I'm probably being nosy, but is that all about your father's arrangements?"

As with Gwenna, Alex had also pre-arranged for his funeral, leaving very few details to contend with. Although, as Kara pointed out,there would be extra expenses to be met;

"We'll have to figure something out, but I'm sure that they'll let us make payments on it."

Taking a sip from his cup, Lucas asked;

"What about his medical bills?"

Shrugging, Kara explained;

"With his VA benefits, he was fully covered, so there wont be any bills from that."

Considering her statement for a moment, he asked casually;

"How much do you think that you'll have to come up with?"

Puzzled by his question, but realizing that, as Dara's husband, he had the right to ask, Kara replied;

"I'm not really sure. Most of its already paid for, but my guess is that with the other expenses we may have to come up with, at most, probably no more than five thousand dollars. We'll figure it all out, I guess Jack and I can borrow on the house."

Without a word, Lucas got up and found his wife's purse; searching until he found what he was looking for, he made his way back to the table and wrote a check for the amount that she had stated before tearing the piece of paper from the checkbook and handing it to her. Kara's jaw dropped as she stared at him in disbelief as she stammered;

"But, you can't do this, I can't accept this. Besides that, you've already paid for everything for Mama as well Mara's trip."

Shrugging, Lucas returned the checkbook to Dara's purse as he argued;

"Yes you can. Besides that, think of how much better you and Dara will feel knowing that everything is taken care of."

Shaking her head in disbelief at his generosity, Kara couldn't help but ask;

"Are you sure? I mean, you and Dara have the babies coming."

Holding up his hand to silence her protests, he offered;

"Look, we have a comfortable lifestyle. We can afford to do is, so just say 'thank you', okay?"

She couldn't help but smile at him warmly as she nodded;

"Thank you."

Sensing that Dara was awake, Lucas excused himself , opening the bedroom door, he found her standing in front of the window with her arms wrapped around herself, as though she was trying to draw comfort from within herself. He couldn't help but remember how emotionally fragile she had been after her mother's death, he wanted to make certain that she knew that he was there for her to draw strength from when she was ready. Coming up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her and asked in deep concern;

"Are you alright, darlin?"

Although she nodded, he could tell by her silence that there was an underlying current of emotions running through her as he surmised;

"You feel lost with both of them gone, don't you?"

Turning to look into his eyes, he could see the sadness, confusion and frustration in the depths of hers as she tried to reason;

"I know that I shouldn't, I know that I have you and soon I'll have our children. And, I know that I'm a grown woman, but yes, I do feel very lost without them."

Pulling her into his embrace and laying his cheek against the top of her head, he stated;

"You're not alone, honey. I promise you, we'll get through this; together, just as we did when your mother died."

Dara glanced up at him before lowering her head against his chest as she muttered;

"I believe you."

Since all of the Chambers family was present, the services for /Alex were held immediately. Given his wife's delicate condition, Lucas was grateful that Seth kept pretty much to himself. However, he still continued to hover near her, just in case. Although he knew that it was her character to hold her emotions in until they overwhelmed her, Lucas had assumed that she would turn to him for comfort once they were alone, but, after the funeral, the next day when they were alone while getting ready for bed, Lucas had offered her comfort. He had approached her as she was turning the covers back, about to get into the bed, to place his arms around her to hold her as he offered;

"Baby, if you want to let it out, you go right ahead. There's no one here to show a brave face to."

Lucas found himself shocked as she turned to address him, her face a set look of tight control as she replied;

"I'm fine, I'm just tired. Let's get some sleep so that we can leave early tomorrow. I'm ready to be home and I'm sure you must be too."

With that she stood on tiptoe to place a chaste kiss on his mouth before she turned to climb into bed. Furrowing his brow, Lucas decided to let it go as he pulled the covers closer around her, noticing that she was already almost asleep. Choosing to leave her alone for a while, he closed the door softly behind him as he ventured to the kitchen, deciding on a cup of coffee. Kara, seeing him coming up the hallway, poured him a cup and handed it to him as he reached the table. Taking the cup in his hands he offered her a grateful smile;

"Thanks."

Shrugging her shoulders, she replied;

"You look as though you could use it."

Nodding his head in agreement of her observation, he began sipping the hot liquid as Kara glanced over the rim of her own cup to ask;

"How's Dara?"

Shrugging as he sighed in frustration;

"Well, she says that she's fine, but I say that there's a problem. She's keeping her emotions in check and I know that it isn't healthy for her or her condition."

Nodding her agreement of her brother in law's statement, Kara asked casually;

"How long have you two been married now?"

His curiosity peaked at her question, Lucas asked;

"Almost a year; why?"

Glancing at him in a knowing manner, she asked;

"And you haven't come to realize Dara's biggest flaw yet?"

Unable to argue her point, Lucas nodded;

"Yes, I have. Aside from being stubborn as hell, she keeps things bottled up inside of herself. She did it when your mother died, she tries to deal with everything on her own terms, without benefit of help from anybody or anything else."

Agreeing, Kara confirmed;

"That's it exactly; part of it stems from the fact that there is a big difference between her and the rest of us, so she spent a lot of time alone and partly because when things were so bad at home for us, when Daddy was so abusive. You have to understand, when he was like that, showing weakness or tears meant that we got it worse, but Dara has always been more stubborn then the rest of us. She would rather die than cry about anything, and when she does shed tears, it's usually in private."

Considering her revelation for a moment, Lucas turned to her, the concern evident in his face as he pleaded;

"So what's the answer to it; what do I do to help my wife?"

Kara couldn't help but realize, once again, the amount of love that this man possessed for her sister as she offered;

"Just exactly what you're doing; love her and let her know that you're here when she needs you. You've done wonders in almost a year; she's more out of her shell now then what I've ever seen her and I know that you're to thank for that."

Pondering her statement for a moment, Lucas excused himself;

"I guess that I had better get some sleep, we're leaving early in the morning."

Chuckling, Kara offered;

"Part of the fun of being sheriff huh; no extended vacations?"

Nodding, Lucas shocked his sister in law by leaning over as he passed her chair to place a kiss on her cheek as he expressed his gratitude;

"Thank you for the advice, I'll take it."

With that, he made his way to the bedroom to settle for the night. When he climbed into bed next to his wife, he studied her face for a moment, watching as the expressions changed on her face, he realized that she was dreaming. Curling himself around her, he gently massaged her back as he whispered in her ear;

"Calm down, love. I'm here, go back to sleep."


	21. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER 21 **

Lucas sat, focused on the road in front of him, as he contemplated the best way to help his wife. He knew that she was having difficulty processing and dealing with her father's death, especially given that she had taken the responsibility of signing the release forms for his procedure. He didn't think that his level of concern for her could get any deeper when he realized how impassive she had remained during her father's funeral service, however, he soon found that he had underestimated just how deeply concerned he was about to become when she bid farewell to her sisters before their departure. Since he had first met Dara, he had known that she was very close to her family, however, as they had said their farewells that morning, she had done nothing more than simply embrace them briefly and nod indifferently when they had promised to visit after the birth of the twins. Although he could see, as he glanced covertly at her, that she was the picture of calmness, he also knew from experience that the dam that was holding her emotions was, more than likely, going to break at any given moment.

Noticing her husband's covert glances and deciding to put an end to the annoying way that he was continuously watching her, Dara stated in a trite voice;

"I can assure you that I'm quite alright, aside from my annoyance at being under constant observation."

Turning in her seat to pin him with her eyes, which he could see were flashing with the fire of her irritation as she accused;

"Really, Lucas, I'm your wife, not a prisoner in need of constant supervision."

Casting her a quick glance before turning his attention back to the road in front of them, Lucas found himself taking a well measured steadying breath; he had never heard the sharp tone in her voice that he now heard. He couldn't even remember hearing the tone that he now heard when she was so angry with him before his discovery of her mother's condition or even when she had been so irritable before their discovery of her pregnancy. Exhaling the breath slowly, he carefully explained in a soft tone;

"Darlin, I wasn't 'supervising' you, it's just that you seem very withdrawn and quiet. You hardly cried at the funeral and I'm just worried that you're holding this all in."

The sparks of irritated fire that he had seen in her eyes quickly transformed to daggers of ice as she glared at him coldly;

"I think that I've shed more than my share of tears; don't you? I won't have a case of hysterics, if that's your concern. I can assure you that I'm quite capable of handling my emotions; thank you."

With that she turned back to the window to stare at the passing sights. Lucas shook his head, realizing that the only thing that would be accomplished by pursuing the issue any further would be to upset her, he chose to remain silent for the remainder of their trip. When he pulled the car into their driveway, Dara quickly got out of the car, leaving Lucas to deal with their luggage. Having heard the car in the driveway, Caleb raced out of the house to greet them. The wide smile on his face quickly faded when he reached out to hug Dara and saw the foreboding look on her face. Instinctively, he dropped his arms and stepped aside, opting to help his father with the luggage. Motioning in Dara's direction, Caleb asked, the concern evident in his voice;

"What's the matter with her? She's acting real mad about something."

Sighing as he shook his head, Lucas explained;

"I think that she's holding in her grief over her father's death, Caleb."

Lucas couldn't help but notice the look of worry and concern on his son's face as he asked worriedly;

"Is she going to be okay?"

Seeking to ease his son's concern and worry, he ventured;

"I'm sure that she will, we just need to be understanding and give her a little time to come to grips with her feelings."

Having heard the commotion as Caleb ran in, as well as the sound of the upstairs bedroom door closing, Lucilla came up the hallway to greet them. Glancing around, puzzled, she demanded;

"Where's Dara?"

Nodding towards the staircase, Lucas explained;

"She went straight her our bedroom; she's probably tired from the trip. Just leave her alone for a little while."

Shaking his head, frustrated that he didn't have the answer as to how to help his wife, Lucas confided in his grandmother;

"I don't think that she's handling her father's death all that well, she's keeping everything bottled up inside right now. Just leave her alone for a little while, maybe after she gets a little rest she'll be a little bit better."

Studying her grandson's face she could see the worry and frustration in his dark eyes, but she knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that if there were anyway to help Dara, Lucas would make sure that whatever it took to do so, would be done. Finally, she offered a nod of agreement;

"Alright, Lucas. I suppose you know what's best where your wife is concerned."

Returning to the kitchen to to finish working on Caleb's lunch, she hoped that her grandson was right in his prediction.

Seeing that his grandmother and Caleb had set the dining room table for the evening meal, Lucas went in search of his wife to let her know that supper was ready. Finding her in the small downstairs room that had been converted for her to use as a home office, he gave a brief rap on the partially open door before pushing it open wider as he offered;

"Darlin, Mama has supper ready. Let's go in and eat."

Glancing up from the papers she was holding in her hands, she simply stated;

"You go on ahead, I'm not hungry right now. I'll fix myself a plate a little later."

Sighing in frustration at her stubbornness, Lucas pointed out;

"Dara, honey, you haven't eaten since early this morning. You know that's not good for you or the babies. Now come on and eat something."

He knew that their conversation was about to take a decidedly wrong turn as she very carefully and deliberately laid the papers that she was holding on her desk before lifting her head to glare daggers at him as her eyes narrowed before she demanded in a voice with a decidedly icy tone;

"Really; and just exactly how many times have you been pregnant? What in the hell would you about what I do or don't need to do? I will eat when I am damned good and ready. So until then, LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!"

Lucas found himself hard pressed to push his own anger down as he reminded himself of the ordeal that she had been through as well as her condition. Deciding that the best course of action was to put some space between himself and his wife. Without a word, he turned on his heels and stalked up the hallway, passing by his grandmother and Caleb, he informed them brusquely that he would eat later as would Dara before snatching his jacket from the closet and slamming the front door behind him.

Dara sat at her desk, staring after her husband, her own emotions raging, finding herself confused as to whether she was more furious or hurt and if so was it with herself, her husband or life in general. She pushed her chair out as she stood and began breathing hard as she glanced down at the assortment of documents and folders on her desk and feeling the need for, at least, some type of release of her anger, before she realized it she was simply screaming in frustration as she leaned over and swept her arm across the desk top, sending everything scattering to the floor.

Caleb, hearing his step mother's anger erupt, turned to his great grandmother, the worry and fear evident on his young face as he asked;

"Mama, do you think that everything is going to be okay between them?"

Feeling the same worries and fears, Lucilla shook her head as she placed her arm around the boy's shoulders;

"I hope so, Caleb. Those two wouldn't do good separated from each other."

Lucas had been driving around for about half an hour when he decided, for lack of a better place to go, to head to the office and try to catch up on some of the paperwork that had gotten behind during his absence. Entering the office, he slammed the front door against the inner wall of the reception area, surprising, not only Floyd, but Ben as well, with the intensity of his anger. Recovering quickly, Ben exclaimed;

"Lucas, we weren't expecting you back this soon. How's Dara doing?"

Ben didn't know what had happened between the two of them, but he knew beyond the shadow of a doubt, when Lucas glared at him and replied in an acidic tone;

"None of your damned business; bring me the reports so that I can sign off on them."

that something serious had taken place between Lucas Buck and his wife. A fact made even more apparently as he closed the door to his private office with enough force to rattle the glass in every window in the building.

Lucas settled himself in his desk chair, trying desperately hard to contain the rage that kept trying to swim to the surface of his anger. Allowing his gaze to roam over the top of his desk, his eyes were drawn to the photo of Dara that had been taken at their wedding. Taking the photo in his hand, he studied the expression that the photographer had managed to capture; her smile indicating that she had a special secret hidden in her heart which had placed the smile on her lips and the brightness in her eyes.

Timidly, Ben softly opened the door, having knocked but receiving no answer. Noticing how Lucas seemed so engrossed in his thoughts he understood why he hadn't been issued an invitation to enter. Approaching the desk cautiously, he offered;

"Lucas, here are the reports."

Glancing up at his deputy, Lucas ordered;

"Ben, close the door and have a seat. I want to ask you something."

Complying with his boss' dictates, Ben sat patiently as he waited for Lucas' line of inquiry. Turning the photo that he was holding towards Ben, Lucas began;

"Ben, I think that you know that when I met her, I thought that she was the most beautiful woman that I'd ever seen. I think that you guessed that from the time she said 'hello' that she had me hooked."

Recalling the way that Lucas had looked the day that he had first seen Dara, Ben nodded his agreement as he watched Lucas place the photo back in its place. He couldn't help but find himself shocked as Lucas demanded;

"So what's changed in her, Ben?"

Uncertain as the Lucas' exact meaning, Ben asked;

"Are you saying that you don't find her attractive anymore?"

Staring at his deputy in bewildered disbelief, Lucas denied;

"Hell no, Ben! If anything, I think that she's more beautiful and desirable then ever, if that's even possible. Aside from that, Ben, I think you've pretty much figured it out by now that she's the only woman that I can honestly say I've ever truly loved, despite my past with women."

Ben could only nod his agreement at Lucas' confession; there was no denying the fact that the Dara was the only woman that Ben had ever seen Lucas open himself up to, not to mention the only person that he had never tried to manipulate or maneuver for his own selfishness. If anything, every move that Lucas made was done so with Dara's feeling in mind. Puzzled, Ben shrugged as he asked;

"Lucas, from what you're telling me you're married to a woman whose beautiful, desirable and, don't take this wrong but, most men would give their eye teeth just to have her smile at them. Add to that, I know from first hand experience, she has a wonderful personality and, quite frankly, is a sweetheart. So what's the problem?"

Leaning his head back against his desk chair, Lucas sighed as he explained;

"Ben, she seems to have changed; she used to be so sweet and loving. Now, she's irritable, angry and down right bitchy at times. I told her tonight that it was time to eat and she literally screamed at me to leave her alone. Since we've been married, she's never raised her voice even if we've disagreed, she just calmly states her case and that's it."

Considering Lucas' revelations about his wife's behavior, as well as something that Caleb had mentioned, Ben leaned forward to cross his arms across the desktop as he asked;

"Lucas, didn't she have to sign the consent forms for her father's surgery?" 

Lucas nodded;

"Yes, I know that she didn't want to and I offered to do it for her, but it had to be one of Alex's kids to do it and she couldn't refuse when he begged her to sign them."

Narrowing his eyes in contemplation, Ben speculated;

"Lucas, have you ever considered that just maybe she blames herself? She probably feels like she signed her name to her father's death warrant."

Giving voice to some other aspect that might offer the man some insight into his wife's problem, he pointed out;

"No offense, Lucas, but have you stopped to think about something? It's been a little more than a year since you two met and became involved with each other, mind you at the time she was also trying to care for her dying mother while keeping that brother of hers at bay to give her mama some peace. And I know this is personal, but it wasn't hard to see that she wasn't exactly overly experienced in the relationship department, so I'm pretty sure that she had to come to grips with her feelings for you, not to mention coming to grips with the realization that she was going to lose her mother. And now, in less than a year's time, she's lost her mother, became your wife, almost lost her own life, is about to become the mother of your children and now, she's lost her father. Plus, she's pregnant which means that she's raging inside from the mood swings anyway. She's had a lot put on her plate, she needs some time to adjust to it all, Lucas. Most people get more time to deal with just one of those issues than what she's been given to deal with everything that I just mentioned. I think that she'll be back to normal once she's had some time."

Taking a deep breath, Lucas nodded as he rose from his chair before advising;

"Ben, I'm going home. I'll see you tomorrow."

When he walked through his front door, Lucas was in a considerably lighter mood then when he had left, but when he saw the looks on his son and grandmother's face, he knew before anything was said that something was seriously wrong. Lucilla confirmed his suspicions as she shook her head, the fear and worry evident in the pleading look and tone as she explained;

"We just called the station, you need to get in there. I think that there's something really wrong with her."

Confirming her statement, Caleb nodded as he confessed;

"She ain't acting right and she's drinking."

Lucas felt his own worry and panic rise at his son's statement. One thing that he had realized early on when he began courting Dara was the fact that she didn't care for alcohol. The only time he had seen her drink was a glass of wine before they were married and a sip of champagne on their wedding night. Hurrying to the study he found her pouring over books of family photos while drinking a glass of wine. Glancing at the bottle he realized that she must have drank almost all of it; with that in mind, he cautiously asked;

Dara, darlin, what are you doing?"

He couldn't help but notice the odd look in her eyes as she turned to answer him as she made a sweeping motion across the table;

"What's it look like? I'm going over what's left of my family; memories and pictures, the only things that I have left to contribute to my children's upbringing, I can't even offer them at least one grandparent. Just imagine how proud that they'll be to find out that their mother, not only allowed their grandmother to die from cancer, but that she also signed the death warrant that killed their grandfather."

Taking the bottle from the table she drained the remainder of its contents into her glass before Lucas took both the bottle and the glass from her as he pointed out;

"Baby, you know that drinking isn't a good idea in your condition. Let me have these."

The irritation showing in her eyes, Dara glared at him as she demanded;

"Just what would you know about whether or not it's a good idea?"

Lucas found his patience had reached their end as he gritted his teeth together before replying in frustration;

"I thought that you wanted our children; but I guess that your self pity is more important than their health. Some mother you're turning out to be."

Without realizing what she was doing, Dara lashed out and connected the flat of her hand with his cheek. Awareness and horror of her actions dawned on her as she began breathing heavily before a cry of anguish escaped her lips as tears began streaming down her face as she turned abruptly and ran from the room. Running for the front door, she snatched her purse and keys from the foyer table as she rushed out the door, ignoring Caleb and Lucilla's pleas to stop. Lucas hurled both the bottle and the glass into the fireplace as he rushed to stop her; Lucilla yelled after him as he snatched the door open;

"You have to stop her, she shouldn't be driving."

Reaching the car before she was able to turn the key in the ignition, Lucas snatched the door open and grabbed her keys from her hand to throw them in the direction of the front door as he demanded;

"What the hell do you think you're doing? You can't drink after all the wine that you just drank; are you trying to kill yourself?"

Although Lucas knew his anger was heightened with her carelessness, he found his anger dissipating as he saw the tears welling in her eyes as she laid her head forlornly against the steering wheel before exclaiming;

"I don't care anymore. I let it happen to both of them; I knew that Mama was sick, but I didn't make her go to the doctor, I just kept accepting her excuses that she just didn't feel well. And I shouldn't have signed those damned consent forms, maybe Daddy could have pulled through on his own. I might as well have put a gun to their heads."

Hearing the beginning of the dam breaking on her emotions, Lucas gently placed his hand against her cheek to turn her to face him as he attempted to reason with her;

"Honey, you didn't kill them; there wasn't anything that you could have done. You didn't inject cancer into your mother's body and you didn't weaken your dad's heart; I'm sorry but that was just the luck of the draw for them, sweetheart. As far as signing those paper; you did what they asked you to do."

Seeing that his words were penetrating through to her, he pulled her into his arms to hold her as she allowed the tears of her grief to flow. When she quieted somewhat, she pulled back slightly before swallowing the lump in her throat as she stroked the still red spot on his cheek as she gently kissed it before offering softly;

"I'm so sorry, please forgive me. If it will help, you can hit me back."

Shaking his head as he pushed her hair behind her shoulder, he declined her offer;

"I wouldn't hit a pregnant woman, especially my wife."

Lucas placed his arms around her as she lowered her head to his chest and began crying in earnest. Holding her tighter, he gently pulled her from the car and swung her up in his arms to carry her inside the house. Opening the door, Lucilla began to speak when Lucas shook his head, indicating that they would discuss this at a later time as he continued up the staircase to their bedroom. Sitting in the rocking chair next to the window, he held her in his embrace as he allowed her to draw comfort from his presence as she unleashed all of the emotions that she had been containing.

After she had felt that she had exhausted her tears, Dara lifted her eyes to ask;

"How have you managed to put up with me acting like such a bitch lately?"

Placing a kiss on her forehead as he smiled at her tenderly as he brushed her tears away;

"That's simple, because I love you. Honey, you haven't done anything wrong, there isn't anything for you to feel sorry about."

Content to simply lay her head against his shoulder, she relaxed and simply basked in the warmth of the love that he had for her. Lucas sat, holding her in his lap for a while until he realized that she had fallen asleep. Rising from the chair quietly, he gently placed her on the bed and tucked the covers around her before heading downstairs to answer his son and grandmother's questions. Finding them in the study, clearing away the debris of broken glass, he informed them;

"She's asleep and she'll be fine now. She was holding in her grief and it had to come out somehow."

At their nod of agreement as they continued cleaning the refuse of broken glass, Lucas turned to Caleb;

"Son, if Doc Crower on duty tonight?"

Caleb looked puzzled as he nodded as he held the dustpan for his great grand mother to clear away the last of the glass. Deciding that what his wife truly needed was a way to feel productive, Lucas took the cordless phone and began dialing, waiting for Matt to answer his office phone. Discussing the idea that he had in mind, both were in full agreement that this was indeed the answer to Dara's problem. Satisfied with his efforts, Lucas bid good night to Caleb and Mama Lucy as he sought his own rest for the night.

Dara descended the stairs the next morning to find Lucas and Mama Lucy in the kitchen, both turning to her in curiosity as she entered the room. Before she could question what the strange looks meant, Lucas, sipping his coffee, asked her in innocence;

"Aren't you going to get dressed for work?"

Disbelief and confusion clouding her face, Dara shook her head as she demanded;

"Honey, what are you talking about? I'm on maternity leave."

Offering her a smile, Lucas offered;

"Not anymore; I talked to Crower last night and we think that you should go to work, part time."

Letting his statement fully sink in for a moment, she smiled brightly as she pushed herself up from the table to promise;

"I'll be ready in thirty minutes."

She hurried up the stairs to fulfill her promise. Turning to look at her grandson, Lucilla asked skeptically;

"Lucas, are you sure that her going back to work is a good idea?"

Shrugging as he let out a sigh, he demanded;

"Mama, you know that helping other people helps her work through her own problems. Besides, do you have any better suggestion how to help her get through this?"

Shaking her head, Lucilla admitted;

"No; I guess that you know what's best for her."

Dara hurried down the stairs, ready to leave as promised. Lucas handed her the keys to her car, having sent Caleb out to find them earlier. Placing his arms around her waist, he kissed her before advising;

"Be careful and I'll see you for lunch, alright?"

Throwing her arms around her husband's neck she gave him a sound kiss before vowing;

"I will, I promise."

As promised, lunchtime found Lucas walking through the hospital on his way to his wife's office. Crossing paths with Matt, he stopped him and asked;

"Have you seen her yet; how is she?"

Nodding, Matt offered;

"I saw her about thirty minutes ago and she seemed like she was in a good mood. I think that her outburst last night cleared the worst of it away for her. She may be a little depressed once she has the babies but I don't think it will be anything like it was last night."

Offering his thanks, Lucas continued on his course for Dara's office. Seeing that she was in the middle of a session, he waited until her door opened and her patient had left before opening the door and offering her a smile before greeting;

"Hello, sweetheart; ready for some lunch?"

Lucas couldn't help but feel gratitude at the welcome sight the familiar sparkle in her eyes and bright smile made as she admitted;

"Yes, I'm famished, let's go."

Lucas felt grateful that the results he and Matt had hoped for with Dara's return to work had come to fruition; not only was she continuing to progress at a normal pace with her pregnancy, but he could also see that the personality that everyone had come to treasure in her had also returned. Having finally come to grips with the reality of her parents' deaths, she no longer blamed herself but, instead, accepted that this was a natural part of life.

As December quickly approached, he soon found himself amazed to discover his wife's immense love for the Christmas holidays. Although Lucas had refused when she had insisted on, not only decorating a tree, but the house as well, he found that he couldn't possibly refuse when he saw the look of intense disappointment on Dara's face. Although he tried to remain stoic about the holiday, he soon found himself enjoying the season, especially when his wife had coerced him into a shopping trip for decorations. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't help but find himself enchanted with the season due to Dara's childlike enthusiasm for the holiday.

The extent of Dara's enthrallment with the various myths of the holiday was made obvious when Lucas came home early one afternoon. As usual, Caleb was helping her wrap gifts in the living room, Lucas had stopped just outside the doorway when he heard his wife ask his son;

"Caleb, have you made your list for Santa Claus yet? I want to be sure that he gets it."

Staring at her in shock, Caleb exclaimed;

"What do you mean, Santa? There ain't no such person."

Dara's eyes widened in disbelief; she had believed in the myth of Santa until she was a teenager, and even then, her mother had explained that Santa Claus had been a real person who gave presents to children who wouldn't have received a gift otherwise and that, now, Santa represented the spirit of giving. Turning to her step son now, she asked in disbelief;

"Caleb, you're only eleven years old, do you mean to tell me that you don't believe in Santa Claus?"

Curious as to what his son's reaction would be, Lucas stood, silent, listening at the door as he could remember how the childhood myth had never been encouraged when he was a child, especially given his family's darker side. In fact, the whole idea of Christmas had been one that had been seriously discouraged, although he could remember when he was a small boy how his mother had tried to celebrate the holiday, but his father had quickly squelched her attempts. Considering that fact, Lucas realized that he had been robbed of a great deal of joy at that particular person's hands, something that led him to feel guilt over Caleb's revelation. He knew that Gage Temple had always dealt with the harsher realities of life and never allowed his children the opportunities for the simple and innocent pleasures of childhood; not to mention the fact that Lucas had never encouraged such frivolous thinking either. Listening to the exchange between his wife and son now, he was sorry that he hadn't stepped in to his son's life much sooner as well as meeting his wife much sooner.

Lucas' thoughts were brought back to the present as Caleb observed;

"Well, I ain't ever seen him."

Understanding the boy's logic, Dara nodded before offering;

"Well, that's certainly true, but you haven't seen the babies for yourself yet either, but do you doubt that they exist?"

Offering his step mother a strange look as he pondered her statement, Caleb shook his head;

"But that's different; your stomach keeps getting bigger, so you know that they're in there."

Dara couldn't help but laugh slightly at his logic as she agreed;

"That's right, and you also find presents under the tree, so that tells you that Santa was there. Caleb, if you don't remember anything else that I ever tell you, I want you to remember two things. First, and most important; never forget that your father, Mama Lucy and I all love you very much. Secondly; just because you can't put your hands on something or see it with your own eyes, doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. Do you understand?"

Considering her words, Caleb nodded;

"Yes ma'am, I guess I do. Well, if you think that he's real then maybe he is, so I guess I better make up a list, huh? Just in case?"

Reaching over to give the boy a quick hug as she smiled warmly, she nodded her encouragement;

"Yes, I think that would be a very good idea."

Acting as though he had just gotten home, Lucas entered the room and looked around the room as he shook his head in astonishment at his wife's energy;

"Well, it looks like the Christmas elves have been pretty busy today."

Glad to see his good mood, Dara offered her husband a loving smile as she took the hand he offered to help her up from her place on the floor before offering good naturedly;

"Oh yes, and we're expecting Rudolph and Frosty at anytime now."

Laughing at her statement, Caleb excused himself, explaining he had to help Loris Crower wrap some presents too. That had been another area of vast improvement; Caleb

was now spending more and more time with them; so much so to the point that he had begun to make some small changes to the bedroom that he occupied to make more of a claim in the house. Dara had confessed that she hoped that Caleb would eventually move in with them since she had become very fond of the boy and enjoyed having him around. Although he had been somewhat surprised at first, Lucas couldn't deny that he wasn't shocked by the fact that his wife had managed to convince Caleb to spend the night on Christmas eve so that he could be with them to open his gifts first thing on Christmas morning, pointing out that it was a family holiday and that they were now a family. However, the one aspect that he did find somewhat surprising was his grandmother's attitude towards Christmas being lightened, thanks to his wife's influence.

Lucilla, like Lucas couldn't deny that the grim and somber mood that used to hold such an influence over the old house seemed much more friendly and lighter with Dara's presence and influence. Lucas had known that, at first, Lucilla had only valued what Dara could provide to their family; another heir, but he couldn't help but find himself amused as he soon realized that his grandmother couldn't bring herself to deny her granddaughter in law anything either. He found himself relieved and glad for the fact that the old woman had come to see the reasons why he had fallen in love with his wife.

Christmas eve had finally arrived, much to Caleb's relief. Lucas couldn't help but feel amusement with his wife's satisfaction over her efforts for the holiday; having made certain that the gifts for her family had been sent off in time and especially her satisfaction in acquiring all of the gifts that Caleb had expressed a desire for, even the secret ones that he wanted just for the purpose of seeing if Santa Claus was indeed real. Once she had everything that could be prepared ahead of time for their holiday dinner the next day finished and was certain that Caleb was sound asleep, she brought his gifts from Santa out of their hiding spots to place them under the tree before finally climbing the stairs to settle down for the night.

Lucas stood watching her as she brushed her hair as they were getting ready for bed and noticing the look of sadness in her eyes from her reflection in the mirror, he crossed the space to stand behind her and wrap his arms around her before asking;

"What is it, darlin; thinking about your folks again?"

Turning in his embrace, she sought to reassure him;

"I'm alright, love, I promise. I just can't help missing them, that's all."

Looping her arms around his neck, she asked sweetly

"What did you want Santa to bring you for Christmas?"

Catching her playful mood, Lucas couldn't help but grin at her leeringly as he pulled her closer;

"I'll give you a clue, you won't find it under the tree or in a stocking."

With that, he lowered his head to claim her mouth as they enjoyed their own brand of exchanging before drifting off to sleep.

Christmas morning arrived, much to Caleb's relief and the adults chagrin as it found the boy bounding into Lucas and Dara's bedroom to land at the foot of their bed, shouting excitedly;

"YOU WERE RIGHT! There is a Santa and he was here! You should see everything that he left, come on!"

With that he launched himself off the bed to fly down the staircase as Dara sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as Lucas braced his arm across his upraised knee to shake his head as he reminded her;

"Just remember; when we have to do this year after year, it was your idea."

A satisfied smile crossed her face as she replied pertly;

"I don't mind, besides, it's worth it to see the look on his face."

Placing her hand over the rise of her stomach, she ventured;

"And it will be worth it to see the look on their faces too."

With that she motioned towards the door as she put her robe on and offered;

"Come on, let's go see what Santa brought."

Joining Caleb downstairs, who was trying to contain his excitement until the adults appeared, Lucas helped Dara lower herself to sit on the sofa before joining her as Mama Lucy took a seat in the rocking chair to watch him open his gifts. To the boy's credit, once he had opened enough to satisfy his curiosity, Caleb began handing out presents to the adults. Puzzled as he opened a gift from Dara, Lucas couldn't help but turn to his wife as he asked in amusement;

"Darlin, you know that I love them. Hell, I love anything you give me, but didn't you think that I had enough?"

Shrugging, Dara ventured;

"Maybe I was getting tired of black."

Finally, after the pile of packages under the tree had diminished and seemingly disappeared, Lucas pointed out a small box, almost hidden;

"Son, didn't you miss one?"

Spotting the gaily wrapped box, Caleb pulled the small package from where it sat and read the name tag before shaking his head;

"This isn't for me, it's for Dara."

Crossing the space from the tree to the sofa, he placed the package in her hands. Studying the box curiously, Dara turned to her husband;

"What's this? You've more than spoiled me, what else could I possibly want?"

Shrugging as he took a sip of coffee, Lucas stated in an indifferent tone;

"I don't know what it is, I guess that Santa must have left it for you."

Sighing as she eyed her husband suspiciously, Dara pushed her hair over her shoulder, out of her way, as she began opening the box. Ripping the paper open she lifted the lid and found, yet, another much smaller box. Glancing up in amusement she admonished her husband laughingly;

"And you said that you don't have a sense of humor."

With that, she removed the box and ripped the wrapping paper to find a small jewelers' box. Raising an eyebrow in question, Dara slowly opened the box, her eyes widening in disbelief as she exclaimed softly;

"Oh my God!"

Her eyes lifting up to meet her husband's even gaze she shook her head in disbelief as she spoke softly;

"It can't be, there's no earthly way that you could have found it after all of this time."

Brushing tears from her eyes, she demanded softly;

"How?"

Their curiosity peaked, Lucilla and Caleb came to stand closer to get a look at the contents of the box. Bewildered, Caleb asked;

"I don't get it, why would you be crying about some old green ring, Dara?"

Taking a deep breath as she wiped away her tears, Dara turned to explain;

"It's not just an old green ring, Caleb, at least not to me. When I was a little girl, a lot younger than you, my grandfather gave this ring to Mama.; she was going to give it to me when I graduated from high school, but when she went to get it from her jewelry box, it was missing. We found out that my brother, Seth, had stolen the ring and sold it, this ring has been passed down to the youngest girl since my great great grandfather bought it for my great great grandmother. Mama's Aunt Elizabeth passed before my grandfather and since she had no children, the ring went to my grandfather to give to my mother."

Lifting her eyes to gaze into her husband's she swallowed hard as her eyes filled with tears as she closed the space to place her arms around his neck and hold him tightly to her as she softly offered her gratitude;

"I don't know how you did this, my love, but thank you so much. You just don't know how much this means to me."

Wrapping his own arms around her to hold her, he kissed her soundly before venturing;

"I have a pretty good idea, darlin."

Lucas had racked his brain for the weeks preceding Christmas, wanting to get his wife the perfect gift. Although money certainly wasn't a consideration, he knew that buying her an extravagant gift wasn't as important as giving her a gift that had true meaning behind it. He was about to come to the end of his rope when his wife and grandmother had dropped the solution in his lap. Dara had been going through boxes of old photographs, with Mama Lucy's help, to be placed in albums when Lucas ventured into the kitchen, having opted to spend his lunch break at home with his wife. As Dara was busy preparing their meal, Mama Lucy had come across a photo of Gwenna and Alex, dressed for a formal event. Studying the photo, she turned it towards Dara as she remarked;

"Dara, your mama sure was a pretty woman."

Unable to hide her pleasure at the compliment paid to her mother, Dara smiled as she nodded;

"Thank you Mama Lucy. I know it probably sounds arrogant, but I agree. I used to love it when I was little and Mama would get dressed for her and Daddy to go out. I remember how she would put her jewelry box on the bed and it reminded me of a treasure chest. I loved when she would let me play dress up with her jewelry."

Studying the photo closer Lucilla couldn't help but admire the princess cut emerald ring surrounded by diamonds that Gwenna Chambers was wearing in the photo as she remarked;

"I can see why; she certainly had good taste, that ring she's wearing is beautiful."

Approaching the table as she placed her husband's plate in front of him, Dara took the picture in her hand to see which ring Mama Lucy was referring to. Lucas couldn't help but notice how her eyes went cold and sad as she nodded;

"It WAS a beautiful ring."

His curiosity peaked, Lucas asked;

"What do you mean, 'was', darlin?"

Sighing heavily, Dara poured herself a glass of juice as she settled herself in her chair and began explaining;

"That ring was a family heirloom; passed down to the youngest daughter since it came into my family. Since my grandfather's sister had no children, when she passed it went to Mama."

Lucas couldn't help but look somewhat confused as he questioned;

"But, sweetheart, if that's the case then shouldn't you have the ring?"

Placing her hands flat on the table as she pursed her lips, Lucas could see a spark of anger in her eyes as she continued;

"I was SUPPOSED to have the ring. Mama had planned on giving me the ring when I graduated high school, but unfortunately, what Mama planned and what Seth planned didn't seem to coincide. When Mama handed me the box that she kept the ring in just before we were about to leave for the ceremony, I opened it and found it empty. We learned that Seth had stolen the ring and sold it along with a few other pieces of Mama's jewelry. He refused to tell us where he had sold it or to who, so I have no idea where it may even be."

Lucas couldn't help but feel his anger at her brother for making her suffer the loss rise, especially when she rose abruptly to state decidedly;

"It's not that big a deal, it's just a ring anyway. I better get this cleaned up, I'll work on these photos later, Mama Lucy."

Watching as she began placing the pictures back in the box, the wheels of Lucas' mind began turning as the answer he had been searching for in regards to his wife's Christmas gift dawned on him. Before he could consider how to get what he needed from the box his wife was filling, the doorbell rang. Motioning for him to remain seated, Dara advised;

"You eat your lunch, I'll get it. It's probably one of the gifts I ordered for Caleb anyway."

Watching as she left the kitchen to answer the door, Lucas motioned towards the photo he wanted as he addressed his grandmother;

"Mama, is there another copy of that picture by chance?"

Lucilla, guessing his reason for asking, quickly shuffled through the pictures before nodding as she handed a photo to her grandson;

"Yes, as a matter of fact here's a better one for what you're thinking."

Taking the picture in his hand, Lucas studied it and could understand his grandmother's point as he noticed that, in this photo, Gwenna had her right hand resting on Alex's chest, the details of the ring clearly visible. Nodding he quickly tucked the photo into his vest pocket as he ordered;

"Not a word, Mama."

Curious, Lucilla demanded;

"Do you think you can get a jeweler to copy that ring in time?"

Shaking his head, Lucas corrected;

"No, besides, a copy doesn't have any meaning, other than the fact that I gave it to her. I'm going to find THAT ring."

Bringing his thoughts back to the present as Caleb turned to his father and demanded;

"So what did you do, Lucas, get a jewelry store to make another one?"

Lifting the ring from the jeweler's box, Lucas shook his head as he advised;

"No, Caleb, I didn't have another ring made."

Eyes widening, Caleb asked in disbelief;

"Do you mean that's her mama's ring?"

Turning to his son as he took Dara's hand to slide the ring onto her finger, Lucas shook his head;

"No, Caleb, that WAS her mama's ring, now it's Dara's ring."

Turning to lock his gaze with his wife's as he squeezed her hand, Lucas vowed;

"And NO ONE will ever take it from her again."

Dara took a moment to study the ring and realized the truth of her husband's statement, THIS was most assuredly the ring that had been in her family for so long and that she had believed lost so many years ago. Tilting her head to the side slightly in speculation, she shook her head as she stated;

"Darling, I don't know how you managed to do this. I know this had to have been expensive, not to mention the time and effort that it took for you to find it. Sweetheart, this is too much."

Sliding closer to his wife, Lucas placed his arm around her shoulder as he chastised;

"No, you're too much and much more than I deserve; so just say thank you and make me happy."

Throwing her arms around his neck she kissed him soundly before pulling back, tears in her eyes as she offered;

"Thank you."

Gently wiping the tears from her face, Lucas offered her a tender smile as he placed his hand on the swell of her abdomen before stating;

"Besides, what you're giving me is infinitely more precious."


	22. Chapter 22

**CHAPTER 22**

Sitting at her desk catching up on her paperwork, Dara heard a light rap on her office door. Glancing up to find Matt standing there, she greeted brightly;

"Hi, so what brings you here to see me, not that I'm not happy for the distraction."

Seeing the window of opportunity to broach the subject he had been wanting to discuss, Matt reminded her;

"You know that you've only got six weeks or so to go, right?"

Offering a slight laugh as she leaned back in her chair, Dara patted the swell of her stomach before responding;

"Matt, no offense but, you do realize that it's really hard to forget that, especially with these guys to remind me. Not to mention the fact that Lucas, Caleb and Mama Lucy have all gone on countdown status. Oh, and did I happen to mention that the deputies at the station have a betting pool going, especially since we haven't been able to determine if these two are going to be boys, girls or one of each."

Matt couldn't help but shake his head as he chuckled;

"So I take it then that you've given consideration to what we discussed?"

Sighing heavily, Dara offered him a look that was a combination of concern, worry and fear as she confessed;

"Yes, I've considered it, but I have to tell you, Matt; I'm really not thrilled with the idea of you cutting me open. I'd rather deliver them naturally if at all possible."

Nodding his understanding, Matt explained;

"Look, hun, I understand your point and like we discussed, a C-section is just an option and a backup plan. You have to remember, you're a small woman and we already know that the babies are already good sized and it might be easier for you if we did a C-section, but you're healthy enough and strong enough that you can deliver naturally as long as there's no complications."

Seeing the look of concern she was wearing, Matt asked softly;

"Dara, you're not afraid, are you?"

Shaking her head in denial, she confessed;

"No, but I am getting nervous."

Before she could say anything more, Lucas knocked on her door to inquire;

"You ready to go, darlin?"

As she began clearing her desk and gathering her briefcase and purse together, Matt opened the door to discuss another topic as he asked;

"By the way, are you going to take the Lamaze classes? I think that it would be a good idea, you could benefit from the method during your delivery."

Glancing at her husband, Dara considered Matt's question for a moment. The truth was that she had given a great deal of thought to taking the classes, but she wasn't certain that Lucas would want to participate, although he had been adamant about the fact that he would be present when their children were born. She chose her words carefully before explaining;

"I really haven't thought about it."

Lucas couldn't help but sense that Matt had more than a simple curiosity for asking about the classes and sensing that something was being held back from him, he turned to Matt as he demanded;

"What do you mean 'she could benefit from them'? I thought that you said that she was doing fine; do you think that she's going to have some complications?"

Shaking his head, Matt admitted;

"I don't really see any right now, but Dara is a small woman and delivering twins is going to be stressful for her body. Not to mention the fact that the babies are already weighing in at six pounds each and she still has six weeks to go to full term. I just think that it might be a good idea if she learns the Lamaze method of breathing to help make it a little easier for her during delivery."

Processing the information, Lucas realized that Matt had a definite point, that being the case, he nodded as he instructed the physician;

"Alright, sign us up for the next classes."

Dara couldn't help but turn to her husband, the shock reflected on her face as she asked;

"You'll take the classes with me?"

Lucas glanced down at his wife, surprised that she would even ask such a question as he demanded in disbelief;

"You didn't think that I was about to let you go in the delivery room alone, did you? Besides, if I take the classes with you, then I'll be better able to help you in there."

Turning to Matt, he asked for confirmation;

"Isn't that the general idea anyway?"

Nodding his agreement with Lucas theory, Matt offered;

"Yes. I'll sign you guys up to the class that starts tomorrow night; alright?"

Although she realized that shouldn't have been, Dara found herself surprised at just how efficiently her husband progressed through the classes. While she progressed just as well, she couldn't help the increasing nervousness that she felt as her time to give birth got closer.

She couldn't help but marvel each passing day at just how patient and loving her husband was with her, as well as Caleb. While she still heard whispered innuendos and rumors about Lucas, she never saw anything but his kind and loving nature where she, their children, including Caleb and his grandmother were concerned.

As Lucas and Dara's first wedding anniversary approached, Dara had decided to take the day off in the hopes of making the day as special as possible. Although, in her advanced condition, she found herself somewhat limited but, thanks to Mama Lucy's help in the kitchen, she was able to get a great deal more done than she had at first anticipated. She had just determined that the Shrimp Ettouffee, Lucas favorite Creole dish, was ready to be set aside when the phone rang. Hearing Mama Lucy answer it, she went back to work as she gave the Crawfish Bisque a final stir with the whisk when Mama Lucy came up the hallway to hand her the cordless phone;

"Dara, it's some man, he said something about having found something that you have been looking for."

Puzzled as she searched her memory for what would explain the call, Dara took the phone and greeted;

"Hello? Yes, this is Dara Buck."

Dara listened as her eyes widened before her lips curled in a smile as she nodded before advising the party at the other end of the line;

"Yes, that will be fine, I can be there in a less than half an hour. And thank you, you're timing is excellent since this is a gift for my husband."

With that she pushed the 'END' button as she turned to Lucilla, a wide smile on her face as she placed the phone on the counter before gleefully laughing as she embraced the old woman. Seeing the concerned look on the woman's face, Dara rushed to assure her;

"I'm fine, Mama; I promise. It's just that there was a present that I was hoping to get Lucas for our anniversary, but it didn't look as if it was going to be possible, until that call."

Glancing about her, Dara cast a hopeful look at her grandmother in law as she pleaded;

"I know that this is a lot of ask, but would you please watch my dinner for me, and if Lucas gets back before I do, please don't let him be nosy, I want to surprise him. The Ettouffee is done, it's just setting and the bisque is finished it's just keeping warm. Desert is finished, it's in the fridge. I hate asking but I have to get there before he closes, luckily, he's willing to wait a few extra minutes if need be."

Lucilla couldn't help but laugh at the girl's enthusiasm as she nodded her agreement before offering;

"You go ahead, honey; I'll set the table for you, you just be careful."

Taking in her obvious condition, Lucilla couldn't help but wonder if Dara should be driving as she asked;

"Dara, are you sure that you're okay to drive?"

Offering a wry smile as she chuckled before patting her swollen stomach, Dara advised;

"Well, just as long as me and these two can squeeze behind the steering wheel, it shouldn't be a problem."

At that, she left Lucilla laughing as she watched her hurry up the hallway and the front door open and close.

Hearing the opening and closing of the front door, Lucilla, assuming that Dara had returned home, she hurried up the hallway in case she needed any help bringing in Lucas' gift. However, she discovered that her assumption had been incorrect when she saw her grandson shrugging out of his coat; she couldn't help but shake her head, smiling as she noticed the large, gaily wrapped package that he had sat on the foyer table. Noticing his grandmother, he motioned towards the kitchen as he asked;

"Dara in the kitchen?"

Shaking her head, Lucilla explained;

"No, she went to see about something and you're not to go into the kitchen. She's worked all day long to surprise you."

Glancing around Lucas to the gift on the table, she couldn't help but chuckle;

"I see that you had the same thought in mind."

Before Lucas could elaborate, the phone began ringing. Grabbing the hallway extension, Lucas answered;

"Hello? What is it, Ben? Which bank? Alright, meet me there, standard procedure."

With that he replaced the receiver on the hook before exclaiming;

"DAMN!"

Seeing the concern in his grandmother's eyes, he explained;

"It looks like we're going to have to wait to surprise each other. There's a bank robbery going on at Trinity Trust and they've got hostages."

Leaning over and kissing the old woman on the cheek, he asked;

"Will you tell Dara what's going on and tell her how sorry I am and that I'll be home as soon as I can."

Lucilla nodded her agreement as she patted his arm before admonishing;

"You just be careful and take care of yourself, I'll tell Dara what's going on."

Watching as he turned on his heel before snatching his coat from the hall closet as he pulled the door closed behind him, Lucilla couldn't help but feel concerned at the situation her grandson was walking into. However, had she known Dara's exact location at that moment, her concern would have turned to full blown panic.

Dara couldn't help but feel pleased with her efforts as Davis Warren gently set the box in the front seat of her car as he shook his head, chuckling;

"You know something Mrs. Buck? I've known ole Lucas a long time; you know none of us ever thought he'd get married, so I have to tell you, having a hand in helping you find his anniversary present sure does tickle me. I feel like I've been part of something historical."

Glancing to the box he couldn't help but observe;

"I have to say, if he doesn't like this, he's crazy. Especially considering how much trouble and effort you went through, I mean first additions of anything Edgar Allan Poe isn't exactly easy to come by, let alone a complete and intact set of his work."

Nodding, Dara agreed;

"I know, and you have no idea just how grateful I am to you for helping me."

Pulling her checkbook from her bag, Dara began writing the check to the man for her purchase. As she ripped the paper from the book, he couldn't help but notice the scowl on her face as he asked in concern, especially given her obvious condition;

"Mrs. Buck, are you okay?"

Offering a short laugh, Dara explained;

"I'm just fine, Mr. Warren; I just realized this is my last check and I forgot to order more. I'll just stop by the bank on my way home and take care of it."

With that she handed the piece of paper to the man before glancing up the street to the bank that she and Lucas used and, realizing that it was fairly close, decided that she could use some exercise as she locked her car before setting off in that direction. Entering the building and realizing that she would need some cash until the new checks arrived, Dara approached one of the desks that held the withdrawal and deposit slips and filled one out before taking her place in line. She found herself greeted by Rita, the head nurse at the hospital;

"Well, Dara, what on earth are you doing in here?"

Offering a smile, she joked;

"You don't have too much longer to go either do you? What, about another four weeks or so?"

Nodding, Dara agreed;

"I've got five weeks exactly as a matter of fact. As far as what I'm doing in here; I just realized that I used my last check to buy Lucas' anniversary present and I forgot to order more so I thought since I was right here I would just go ahead and take care of it now."

Reaching the teller's window, Dara found herself greeted warmly by the young teller, Angie;

"Hello, Mrs. Buck, how are you doing today?"

Glancing pointedly at her stomach, the girl corrected;

"Sorry, I mean how are all of you doing?"

Dara couldn't help but laugh as she asked;

"You know something, Angie? I get the feeling that as small as Trinity is that everyone in town knew almost as soon as I did that I was expecting twins."

Nodding, as she took the slip that Dara had placed on her counter, Angie explained;

"Well, Mrs. Buck, you have to understand, this is a small town and, add to that, the fact that you ARE married to Sheriff Buck; so people definitely pay attention to you, that's for sure."

Noting the information on the slip, Angie asked;

"Okay, so let me make sure I understand this right; you want two hundred dollars in cash and you're placing an order more checks?"

Dara nodded her agreement of Angie's observation as the girl placed ten twenty dollar bills in an envelope and slid it across the counter for Dara to place in her purse as she advised;

"I'll put a rush on those checks, Mrs. Buck."

Before Dara could respond, a commotion at the entrance door caught everyone's attention before the sound of a shot being fired brought the building to a quick silence as three men, dressed in black with sunglasses and black ball caps secured the entrance doors. Once that was completed, one man made his way to the back of the building to secure the back entrance as another ushered the employees from behind the counters and out of the offices. Once everyone was herded into the lobby area, the spokesperson for the group announced;

"Ladies and gentlemen, as you've obviously realized at this point, this is a robbery. Now, if everyone would simply cooperate, we can be on our way rather quickly and so can you. Provided of course we don't have any would we or want to be heroes in this group." Now, first order of business."

Motioning to the henchman closest to the employees, he waited until the manager was pulled from the group before continuing;

"Before you try to deny that you are, please rest assured that we did thorough research before making this move, so we're aware of just who you are, Mr. Ballard. Now, please be honest with us, did you have time to trip the silent alarm?"

Tim Ballard, realizing just how serious the situation was, shook his head in denial;

"No, but this is a small town, so I can't tell you how long it might be before you see sheriff's deputies."

Nodding, the obvious leader replied reasonably;

"As I said, we did our research, so we're fairly certain about the size of our window of opportunity to be finished and out of here. Now, my associate will need your assistance with relieving your bank of it's cash, that includes your ready cash in the drawers and the vault, Mr. Ballard."

Turning to the bank's customers, he advised;

"Don't worry folks, we have no need of what you have in your wallets and purses, only of your cooperation."

Motioning to the working area of the bank, he ordered;

"Jerry, please help Mr. Ballard gather all of that pesky money together please."

Complying with his orders, Jerry roughly pushed the manager behind the gate separating the employees only area of the bank from the lobby as they began clearing out the vault before moving to the drawers. The stunned quiet of the building was broken as Jerry exclaimed in rage;

"YOU STUPID SON OF A BITCH!"

With that, he struck the man across his cheek with the side of the pistol he was carrying in his open palm. Turning to the leader of the group, Jerry explained;

"Doug, he hit the silent button, there was another one hidden in the hundreds compartment, I didn't see it until he hit it."

It was easy to see that Doug was highly frustrated as he took a deep breath before shaking his head in regret as Jerry shoved Mr. Ballard into the lobby area roughly as he addressed the man;

"Mr. Ballard, I sincerely regret that you did that, you see my plan was to gather the cash and simply leave, with no one injured or any the worse for wear. However, I think that it's important to set boundaries of expectation. So with that in mind.."

Before anyone realized what was happening, Doug raised his gun and fired a shot into Mr. Ballard's shoulder, above his heart, sending the man crashing to the floor. Raising his head to address the occupants of the lobby, he continued;

"I sincerely regret having to do that, however, as I said, it's vital to set boundaries. I also apologize as it now seems as if we will need to detain all of you a bit longer as we are now forced into a hostage situation."

Dara couldn't help but stare at the man in disbelief; given her expertise as well as experience, she quickly realized that the man was seriously unhinged; dangerously so. Before she could give any more thought to a technical diagnosis, he motioned to his accomplices as he ordered;

"I think that we should make these people nice and comfortable, so let's just have them take a seat."

With that the group of robbers began forcing everyone to sit on the floor. Dara realized that she may well find herself singled out when one of the thugs approached her to order;

"You heard him, lady. Have a seat, on the floor."

Her instincts as well as anger kicking in when the man tried to grab her arm, Dara slapped his hand away and quickly found a gun pointed at her as the man swore;

"ON THE FLOOR, BITCH!"

Hearing the commotion, Doug approached as he demanded;

"Brad, is there some sort of problem with one of our 'guests'?"

Motioning with the barrel of his pistol towards Dara, Brad explained between clinched teeth;

"This one thinks she's too good to sit on the floor with everyone else. I tried to 'help' her down to the floor and Princess Grace here decided to slap me."

Offering a look of feigned concern, Doug turned to address Dara;

"Since I assume that you're name isn't really Princess Grace, might I know who I have the pleasure of addressing?"

Realizing just how detrimental it might turn out to be if these men learned who her husband was, Dara offered;

"I'm Dara, Dara Chambers."

Nodding, Doug ventured;

"While I certainly appreciate a beautiful woman with spirit, I can't say that this is the proper time or place. However, I'm a reasonable man; so, would you like to tell me why you refused my associate's offer of hospitality?"

Staring at the man in disbelief before casting a downward glance to her swollen abdomen, Dara couldn't help but reply sarcastically;

"I realize that you have other things on your mind at the moment, so your powers of observation may be somewhat distracted, but in case it's escaped your notice; I happen to be almost eight months pregnant, with twins I might add. Lowering myself into a chair is, at best, difficult, how on earth do you expect me to manage to get on the floor?"

Doug cast a glance to her stomach, as if realizing the truth of her statement for the first time, nodded as he addressed Brad;

"Mrs..."

Addressing Dara, he offered;

"I'm assuming that it's Mrs."

At her nod of agreement, he continued;

"Mrs. Chambers certainly has a point Brad."

Turning from them to disappear into an office, he reappeared with a well padded desk chair as he offered;

"Forgive, Brad, Mrs. Chambers. He just wasn't thinking clearly, please make yourself comfortable and if there's anything that we can get you or that you need, please feel free to ask."

Lowering herself into the chair, Dara offered a grudging;

"Thank you."

Brad, still seething, leaned close as he growled;

"Don't think you have special status just because you're knocked up. Push him too far or get on his bad side and he'll be more than happy to pump a bullet into you AND those babies in your gut. Understand, princess?"

Blanching at the man's words and the realization of just how real the danger she had found herself in truly was, Dara simply offered a silent nod of understanding as the man walked away. Closing her eyes to offer a silent prayer, she couldn't help but wonder how the situation was going to turn out, amused as she realized that only she could manage to find herself a hostage of bank robbers by trying to surprise her husband for their wedding anniversary. Silently she thought; _'Lucas is going to have a fit when he finds out.' _

Ben stood behind his squad car, across the street from the bank. He was in the process of telling the other deputies where to position the barricades, blocking off both of ends of the street, as well as making certain that the businesses surrounding the bank building were evacuated to lessen the potential for civilian casualties, when Lucas approached him and demanded;

"Okay, Ben, where are we at with this?"

Motioning to the building, Ben explained;

"Well, the surrounding businesses are evacuated, streets cordoned off but that's as far as we've gotten so far, although we got reports of a shot fired in the building. We were about to try to communicate with them, but I figured that you would want to do that so I left it till last."

Nodding, he patted Ben on the back as offered;

"Good job, Ben. Hand me the mic and hit the loudspeaker."

Once Ben had flipped the switch, Lucas brought the mic to his mouth as he hit the button, causing the loudspeaker on top of the squad car to emit a slight squeal before the clear sound of Lucas' voice broke through.

Doug stood to the side of the window, observing the activity that was taking place outside with the deputies as Brad and Jerry approached him;

"So what's our plan now? That idiot tripped the silent alarm, you better bet that they have this building surrounded, so what do we do now?"

Crossing his arms over his chest, Doug glanced over his shoulder to the group of people gathered as he speculated;

"We have four customers, plus the seven employees, including the guard."

His eyes falling on Dara, his face split in a malevolent grin as he reassessed;

"Actually, add two other to that number thanks to our lovely little mother there."

Narrowing his gaze, Jerry demanded;

"Okay, so what do we do now?"

Turning as he took a deep breath before motioning to the group gathered behind the squad cars as he ventured;

"Now? We see just what they want to offer us and if it's a deal to our liking."

Before he could venture further the sound of the loudspeaker coming to life, interrupted their conference as they heard;

"INSIDE THE BANK, THIS IS SHERIFF LUCAS BUCK. WE ALL KNOW WHY WE'RE HERE SO LET'S MAKE THIS EASY; ANSWER THE PHONE IN A MINUTE AND LET'S FIND OUT WHAT YOU BOYS WANT."

Turning to his accomplices, Doug offered a knowing smile;

"See? Don't worry so much Brad, this isn't our first rodeo."

At that moment, the phone began ringing, walking over to an extension, Doug picked it up to greet cheerfully;

"Hello, Sheriff Buck, nice of you to want to make this as easy and efficient on everyone as possible. Now, with that in mind, let me first explain that we have an injured man in here, he met with an unfortunate accident. As a sign of good faith, I will be letting this man out of the bank so that you can get him medical attention. Now, just so we understand each other, if my two associates should meet with any mishaps when they bring this gentleman outside, please rest assured that, for the two you take, four of our guests in here will meet with an unfortunate accident of their own."

Doug sat, listening momentarily for Lucas reply.

Lucas stood, listening to the man's dictates as he began formulating a plan on how to get this situation resolved as quickly as possible. Once Doug had completed his statement, Lucas replied;

"Alright, fair enough, but just out of fairness, we'd like to know just who all you do have in there."

He could feel the man's hesitation through the line. Seeking to sway his decision, Lucas offered;

"Look, knowing who is in there with you isn't going to change the fact that they're in there. But, it would help keep more people from coming down here out of concern, looking for their loved ones. The fewer people here I have to deal with the easier it is to deal with your demands and get you boys on your way."

Breathing a reserved sigh of relief when the man relented;

"We'll send their driver licenses out with the wounded man."

With that he heard the buzz as the line was disconnected. Turning to Ben, he advised;

"You heard him, Ben, get Floyd and Gary over there to get that man when they bring him out, don't move on whoever brings him out. Tell the paramedics to get over here and get him ready for the hospital."

Watching as Ben hurried to fulfill his orders, Lucas stood, staring at the bank. He couldn't quite understand why, but something about this felt strange to him, as if there was something more than a simple bank robbery gone wrong taking place. Lucas found his attention diverted as Davis Warren approached him;

"Hey, Lucas, what's going on?"

Turning a sarcastic look of frustration on the man, Lucas offered in a sarcastic tone;

"Oh nothing, Davis. We just thought we'd cordon the street off, vacate the businesses in front of the bank just for the hell of it."

Looking chagrined at the quip, the man apologized;

"Sorry, Lucas. I just meant is there anything I can do to help?"

Shaking his head, Lucas stated;

"No, Davis. We've got this, just not the best time for it, that's all. Not like there's ever really a good time though."

Nodding the man offered;

"Yeah, I can understand your point. It's a real shame that this had to happen on your anniversary."

Puzzled, Lucas narrowed his gaze as he demanded;

"Davis, how did you know that it's my anniversary?"

Shrugging, Davis confessed;

"Well, Mrs. Buck came by today. She's been planning a surprise for you for your anniversary and it made it in just in time. Sure am glad that she wasn't down here when all this broke out."

Before Lucas could question him further, Floyd and Ben, having gotten Mr. Ballard settled with the paramedics and on his way to the hospital, ran towards him shouting;

"LUCAS!"

Turning and seeing the intensely worried look on both men's faces, Lucas' own face took on a look of worried puzzlement as he demanded;

"What the hell is the matter with you two?"

Before he could say anything more, Ben approached him, his eyes wide as he advised;

"Lucas, we've got a problem, a REALLY BIG problem."

Lucas didn't have time to question Ben's statement as he offered him one of the driver's license belonging to one of the hostages. Taking the card sized piece of plastic, Lucas' eyes widened in angered panic as he exclaimed;

"WHAT THE HELL!"

Davis, curious, asked;

"Lucas, I don't get it, that's definitely your wife, but why does it say Chambers and not Buck?"

Holding his chin in his hand in contemplation, Lucas nodded as he realized, not for the first time, just how intelligent his wife truly was as he explained;

"Because, Davis, she knows just how dangerous it would be for them to find out just who she is."

Slapping the small card against his palm, he narrowed his gaze as he theorized;

"Or more specifically, just who she's married to."

Holding up the card between his thumb and forefinger, Lucas stated;

"She gave them her old license, the one she had before we got married so they wouldn't know she's my wife."

Concern in his eyes, Ben couldn't help but state;

"Lucas, if they shot Tim Ballard, I don't think they're going to be exactly considerate of Dara's condition."

Inhaling and exhaling sharply, Lucas nodded;

"I know, Ben, I know."

Lucas now realized why the situation felt so strangely to him earlier, given how close his wife was.

Doug sat, listening to Lucas' suggestion and, realizing that if he and his associates were going to get out of this situation in tact, that was going to have to mean compromise and give and take on his part. That being the case, when Buck had suggested sending out the hostages driver's licenses, he realized that was more than a fair compromise. Agreeing to the request he hung up the receiver as he rejoined the group and advised;

"Ladies and gentlemen, as I'm sure you're aware, that was your sheriff on the phone. In the interest of mutual cooperation we will be allowing Mr. Ballard to leave to seek medical attention. Sheriff Buck has requested that we send your driver's licenses out with Mr. Ballard so that your loved ones can be notified to prevent a possible mob situation out front. That will help speed things along to seeing to our departure as well as your own."

Noticing a deposit bag on the counter nearby, he grabbed it before tossing it to Jerry as he instructed;

"Jerry will be gathering your license's now, so please cooperate and let's see if we can't resolve this as quickly as possible."

As the man began gathering the driver's licenses, Dara quickly realized that, more than likely, these men would be giving a cursory glance to the ID's as they were collected. As inconspicuously as possible, Dara opened her bag and withdrawing her wallet, she subtly slipped her driver's license from the space to tuck into a side pocket as she pulled the license that reflected her maiden name from its place. Closing her wallet and slipping it back into her bag she silently dropped the card into the bag as the man passed by her. Once he was out of earshot, Rita, who had managed to maneuver closer to her, asked in a hushed voice;

"Dara, the last thing they need to know is who you are. If they see your license.."

Leaving the thought unspoken, Dara offered a slight nod as she replied softly;

"That's why they have my old driver's license, the one before I was married."

Sighing at her foresight, Rita nodded as they remained silent as they tried to remain patient and hopeful for the outcome of the situation.


	23. Chapter 23

**CHAPTER 23**

Lucas sat in the driver's seat of the patrol car, scanning the information that Ben had just brought to him as Floyd asked;

"Lucas, something I don't quite understand; I get that it's a bad situation, but why is it so important that they don't know who Dara is?"

Disbelief showing in his face as he stared at the man, Lucas couldn't help but sound brusque as he demanded;

"Tell me something Floyd, who's in charge out here?"

Puzzled at the obvious question, Floyd shrugged;

"Well you are, Lucas, everyone knows that."

Nodding as he tried to remain patient with the man, Lucas asked;

"Right, so tell me Floyd, EXACTLY what do you think would happen if those men in there found out that, not only do they have a pregnant woman as a hostage but, she's my wife?"

Realization of the potential danger dawning in his eyes, Floyd muttered;

"Oh dear Lord."

Nodding, Lucas asked;

"NOW do you understand, Floyd?"

With that Lucas turned back to the papers he was holding as he heard Ben's approach, turning he questioned;

"Ben, how sure are we that these are the same old boys that have been hitting the banks around the state?"

Shaking his head, Ben confessed;

"We don't have a positive ID, Lucas, but what little Tim was able to say before they took him away was that he heard the names; Doug, Jerry and Brad and they're dressed the same as all the other descriptions that we have."

Pinning his deputy with his eyes, although he already knew the answer, Lucas demanded;

"What do YOU say?"

Sighing, Ben nodded;

"I think those boys in there are the same ones on that sheet you're holding."

Having worked for Lucas Buck for as long as he had, Ben lowered his voice as he asked in a quiet conspiratorial voice;

"Lucas, I have to ask you; I know that you could bring this to an end if you wanted to why not just do that and be done with it?"

His head snapping up to confront his deputy, his eyes flashing with controlled anger at the comment, Lucas hissed at the man;

"I like how you happen to think that this is as simple as that, Ben; and believe me, I wish it really was. However, since I can't guarantee that my wife or our unborn children won't get hurt or worse I'm not about to do a damn thing that could have the possibility of causing them harm."

Paling considerably at the man's confession Ben hung his head as he offered;

"Lucas, I'm sorry. I just thought..."

Before he could complete the statement, Lucas turned to him and confessed;

"Ben, don't you think I would love to walk in there, bring this to an end, lock those old boys up and get my wife and go home?"

Shaking his head sadly, he explained;

"I can't do that, Ben. Dara would be a distraction, worrying about her would give me reason to hesitate, which I can't afford to have happen."

Nodding, Ben relented;

"You're right, Lucas. I know that you want this over with as soon as possible."

Sighing at the truth of his deputies statement, Lucas glanced at his wrist watch as he ventured;

"Okay, Ben, I guess we need to call those boys up. I'm pretty sure that those people wouldn't mind something to eat, especially one lady in particular who's eating for three."

With that he initiated a call and waited until he heard Doug answer. Before the man could offer any type of objection, Lucas launched in;

"Alright, Doug, we got Tim to the hospital but given it's past supper time I'm pretty sure you have some hungry guests in there who need to eat something. So how about letting me send some food in there?"

Ben watched as he disconnected the call and turned to Floyd to order;

"Floyd, I want you to go over to the diner; tell them we want a couple dozen cheeseburgers, plain. Grab some sodas and some juices."

Lucas couldn't help but consider his wife's last craving as he added;

"Tell them to mix up a strawberry-chocolate shake while they're at it."

Lucas was relieved to see Floyd return within a short time, carrying a box full of food. He called Doug once more, however, this time he asked what was uppermost on his mind;

"Doug, out of curiosity, what is it that you boys want to help bring all of this to an end?"

He wasn't shocked when the man advised;

"Well I think that I'm going to have to get back with you on that one, Sheriff Buck. But be sure to stay by the phone and we'll let you know when we've come to an agreement about our demands."

With that Lucas couldn't help but hope that he could bring all of this to an end as quickly as possible.

Doug leaned back in the desk chair as he held his hands together, palm to palm, in contemplation of his dealings so far with Lucas Buck. He had done his research prior to planning the bank robbery and knew that the sheriff of Trinity wasn't someone that he particularly cared to deal with. However, the rewards that could be reaped from Trinity Trust, especially after an armored car delivery, was too good to pass up. He had assumed that with some extra careful planning, they could have been in and out before the general public had even been made aware that a robbery had taken place. Although he wasn't thrilled to have to deal with the law, he still couldn't help but be amazed at just how easy going Lucas Buck seemed to be in dealing with the situation at hand. Everything that he had learned about the man told him that dealing with him was going to be, at best, difficult, however, that had not been the case.

He found his thoughts interrupted as Jerry leaned against the door frame to advise him;

"They're bringing the food in now."

Nodding, Doug told him;

"I know."

Narrowing his gaze, Jerry ventured;

"You know, I can't figure it; I mean we heard this sheriff is tougher than nails, but here he is, offering to make things easier for us. Why do you think that is?"

Shaking his head, Doug rose to turn as he speculated;

"I don't know, but it seems almost like he's trying to make sure that someone in here is comfortable, doesn't it."

Sighing, he motioned to the lobby as he voiced;

"We'll figure it out later. Let's see about feeding out guests."

Motioning to the boxes and bags of food that had been set on one of the customer desks, Doug watched as Brad began sorting through the box and bags, handing out the burgers and orders of fries as well as sodas. When he came to Dara, she was about to refuse when Rita reminded her;

"Dara, you need to eat something."

Seeing that she was about to be stubborn, Brad, feeling a little remorse for his earlier behavior, ventured;

"Look, Mrs. Chambers, you're eating for three people and you really should eat."

Raising his finger to indicate he needed a minute, the man stepped over to the desk and brought back a large Styrofoam cup as he offered;

"Not really sure why this got sent here, but I tasted it and it's fine; how about a strawberry chocolate shake to go with your burger?"

Her eyes widening slightly, she simply nodded as she took the shake and remained quiet. When Brad walked away, Rita asked quietly;

"I wonder why they only sent in one milkshake and in such a weird flavor."

Lowering her gaze as if she was studying the pattern on the floor, Dara quietly explained;

"It's not as weird as you think. I told Lucas last night that I was craving a strawberry chocolate shake."

Turning to Rita she offered quietly;

"That's his way of telling me that he knows I'm in here."

Although he hadn't heard the conversation Doug and Jerry stood watching the interchange as Brad passed by to offer them some food as well. Taking the foil wrapped sandwich, Doug motioned to Dara as he asked Brad;

"What was that all about?"

Casting a glance over his shoulder, Brad explained;

"She didn't want to eat but there was a milkshake, weird flavor, strawberry chocolate, only shake in there as a matter of fact. I offered it to her if she would eat, it seemed to do the trick, it got her to eat."

Narrowing his eyes in contemplation, Doug asked Jerry;

"Is it just me or do you find it odd that the Sheriff was worried about our guests being hungry and we just so happen to have a pregnant woman in here. Add to that, all the food brought in here and there's only one milkshake that just happens to be in a weird flavor that a pregnant woman might crave."

Both men, turned and approaching Dara, Doug pulled a chair in front of her as he ventured;

"You know, Mrs. Chambers, I know this must be stressful. Although we can't let you go, if it will help ease your husband's mind, I'm willing to let you call him."

Noticing the flicker or worry pass through the woman's eyes, Doug wasn't surprised when she stammered;

"My husband isn't at home at the moment, he's working and probably isn't aware of what's taking place right now."

His eyes narrowing in suspicion, he motioned to Jerry who snatched Dara's bag before she could stop him. Opening her purse, he grasped both sides of the opening before flipping it upside down and shaking it, allowing her wallet to fall onto the floor where it landed open in front of Doug. who leaned down to retrieve it. Holding the place where it had fallen open, he glanced at the photograph before nodding as he chuckled before noticing the corner of Dara's license sticking out from the pocket she had tucked it into. Turning the photo around to show Jerry, he asked;

"Well it seems that the little lady here was telling the truth, Jerry. She is most definitely married, do you happen to recognize the man in the wedding photo with her?"

Jerry gave a slight nod to his head as he offered;

"He seems familiar."

Exhaling slowly as he shook his head before turning the wallet back to himself, Doug held her license up as he explained;

"Well he should, Jerry; that's none other than Sheriff Lucas Buck."

Turning a knowing sneer towards Dara, he demanded;

"Isn't that right, Mrs. Buck.?"

Lucas stood with his arm braced on the top of the car, trying to formulate some type of plan that would result in his wife's safe release. He found his thoughts interrupted when the phone in the car buzzed; he knew that it had to be Doug since the line had been routed to the car's extension. Snatching the receiver, Lucas acknowledged;

"Buck, what can I do for you Doug?"

Lucas listened as Doug offered;

"Sheriff, I want to thank you for your consideration in having some food sent in. I have to tell you, one of our 'guests' truly appreciated that milkshake. Not sure if that was a fluke or not, but it came in handy. Now, I've been doing some thinking and we both know this is a game of give and take, that being the case and since you were thoughtful enough to consider our comfort, I've decided that it would be a good idea to let most of our guests go."

Although the idea of letting the hostages go was something that Lucas knew would give him a decided advantage, he couldn't help the nagging feeling at the pit of his stomach as he pursued;

"Doug, that sounds like a good idea, it gets us one step closer to getting you boys on your way. But if you don't mind, I have to ask you, when you say, 'most of the hostages' how many are you planning on keeping in there with you?"

Lucas understood the reason for the feeling as Doug replied;

"We're going to let everyone go, Sheriff, all except one very pretty and very expectant lady who I believe you're very well acquainted with, especially given the wedding photo we found in her wallet. I have to admit, Sheriff Buck, I envy you considering that she's not only beautiful, but considering how long it took me to realize just who she was, apparently very smart as well. Now, if you'll pay attention to the front you'll find most of our guests leaving now."

Lucas felt his heart sink as he watched the employees and most of the bank's customers walk out of the front door. He noticed Rita as she spotted him and rushed over to speak with Ben before both approached him. Doug broke the silence as he advised;

"There, I've kept my word and released all of our guests, with the exception of one. Although, technically, from my understanding, three, but then again, I'm sure you're well aware of that, aren't you, Sheriff Buck. As far as the rest of our demands, we need to discuss those among ourselves and I'll be getting back in touch with you in a very short bit."

Before the man had a chance to hang up, Lucas' eyes narrowed as he spoke, his tone of voice, low and dangerous;

"Alright so you've figured out that she's my wife, but if you're smart enough to figure that out, I hope you're also smart enough to figure out that if you lay one finger on her or she comes to ANY harm, I can promise you I have no problem pulling out your heart and showing it to you while it's still beating. Now, you figure out what it is you want and get back with me PDQ."

With that he hit the button to disconnect the call as Ben and Rita stood staring at him, their mouths hanging open. Recovering quickly, Rita offered him a sympathetic look as she shook her head;

"Sheriff, I'm real sorry, I tried to get them to let me stay, just in case Dara needed me."

Turning to address the woman, Lucas demanded;

"Rita, tell me something, did he really let everyone else go? The only one's left in there are those bastard and my wife, right?"

Casting a quick glance to Ben, Rita turned back to meet Lucas' stare as she nodded a puzzled look on her face as Lucas asked;

"Rita, is she alright? They haven't hurt her or anything have they?"

Seeing that she was holding something back, Lucas looked at her knowingly as he questioned;

"Alright, Rita, what aren't you telling me?"

Sighing as she shook her head, Rita explained;

"Well, Lucas when they made us sit on the floor, one of them; Brad, got mad because Dara refused to. When he tried to grab her arm, she..."

Knowing his wife's temper as well as her instincts when it came to someone putting their hands on her, especially in a forceful way, Lucas completed her statement;

"Let me guess, he tried to grab her and he got either the sharp side of her tongue or found himself surprised when she smacked him one."

Grimacing somewhat, Rita nodded her agreement as she confirmed;

"Both, actually."

Seeing his concern, Rita rushed to assure him;

"But no one's hurt her, at least not while we were all in there."

Ben couldn't help but notice how Lucas inhaled sharply before tightening his jaw as his eyes narrowed to mere slits. Concerned by the look of determination that he saw on the man's face, Ben demanded;

"Lucas, what are you thinking?"

Turning to Ben as he exhaled, Lucas asked;

"Ben, remember what you asked me earlier? Well, we have a new playing field, but I can't do it alone, are you willing to help me?"

Realizing that his help might mean the difference between Dara's safety and possibly even her life, Ben nodded;

"Just tell me what to do, Lucas."

Nodding, Lucas began formulating a plan, especially given the nagging feeling that he couldn't shake that time was running short to get his wife out of that building.

Doug sat by the phone, trying to fathom what their next move should be. He had assumed, after realizing just who Dara's husband was, that releasing all of the hostages save Buck's wife, especially in her condition, would have found the sheriff begging to fulfill any requests they made as long as his wife remained safe. Although he had no doubts of the man's devotion for his wife and unborn children, he also had no doubts that the man would make good on his promises if harm befell the woman he was now staring at.

Rising form the chair, Doug made his way back to the lobby to take a seat in front of Dara as he informed her;

"Just so you know, you're husband is well aware that you're our guest for the moment."

The look on her face remaining impassive, Dara simply shrugged as she offered in an even tone;

"Given the fact that it's his job to know what's taking place, especially in a situation such as this, that's not exactly shocking news."

Chuckling, he considered;

"Well, I guess, for you, that it wouldn't be. My question, however, is just exactly how far will your husband go to make sure that you stay safe?"

Crossing her arms over the swell of her stomach, Dara raised an eyebrow as she asked;

"Why, Doug, are you worried? Because believe me, you should be. As far as how far will he go, I can't really answer that, but I can tell you that if you do anything to harm or anything to cause harm to me or our children, there's no limit as to just how far he'll go to make you pay."

Seeing the look of deadly earnest in her eyes, Doug rose as Jerry approached him to demand;

"So what do we do now?"

Taking a deep breath, Doug motioned to the phone as he ventured;

"I think that it's time that we met the infamous Sheriff Buck, face to face."

Having heard Doug's statement, Brad demanded;

"Are you crazy, you know that man's reputation and you want to bring him in here?"

Turning, Doug explained;

"Exactly, where we can keep an eye on him, not to mention how much faster we can make our escape with not just his wife but him as well for our insurance."

With that, Doug lifted the phone to make his demands.

Knowing what was coming as he picked up the receiver, Lucas demanded;

"Alright, Doug, so what do you and your boys want?"

He wasn't shocked as the man ventured;

"I think that it's time we meet face to face Sheriff. Not to mention, I think that your wife would appreciate your company. I'll be expecting you at the door in five minutes and Sheriff Buck, no tricks or heroic stunts. I can promise you that one of my boys can put a shot into her much faster than you can pull off anything heroic."

Tossing the receiver on the seat of the squad car, Lucas turned to Ben as he advised;

"Are you sure you understand what I want you to do?"

Nodding, Ben advised;

"Yeah Lucas, Gary's already clipped the line that signals the emergency exit at the back, I got Tim's keys and we know all three will be up front with you."

Lucas turned to Rita;

"You stay nearby, just in case."

Turning back to Ben, Lucas motioned to the door;

"Alright, give me two minutes and then you ease on back there. And Ben, I don't care if you have to shoot those three; hell, I don't even care if you end up hitting me, but you better make DAMN sure that Dara is in the clear and safe. Understand?"

Seeing the worry in the man's eyes for his wife's safety, Ben patted Lucas' back as he vowed;

"Don't worry, Lucas. You know I'd do anything to help keep her safe."

Nodding his acceptance of the man's promise, Lucas made his way to the entrance door of the bank.

Dara found herself inhaling sharply as she felt another twinge of pain, she had felt one earlier but, with everything taking place, she had assumed that it was simply a cramp or even possibly the babies shifting as Matt had advised her was a possibility. However, as she glanced at her watch she realized that the pain was the same at the one before that had started ten minutes prior. Breathing as she had been taught in the Lamaze classes that she and Lucas had been taking, she breathed a sigh of relief as the wave passed. Debating the level of necessity of her captors knowing what was taking place she chose to remain silent, especially given the possibility of false labor considering she was still five weeks from her due date. She found herself initially grateful the pain had passed as Doug approached her, her relief was short lived as he informed her;

"We have a surprise for you Mrs. Buck? We thought that you'd like some company."

Dara watched, puzzled, as Doug nodded and she heard Jerry unlock the door. She turned, her eyes widening as her husband stepped through the door. Struggling, Dara pushed herself up from her chair to face her husband, her worry evident on her face, however, feeling Doug's hand on her shoulder, she found herself being roughly pushed back into the chair. Dara was unable to prevent herself from emitting a slight 'oomph' thanks to the combination of the force that had been used to push her down and the onset of another spasm of pain.

Lucas' eyes narrowed as he turned to Doug before issuing;

"I'll thank you to keep your hands off of my wife."

Turning his attention to her, Lucas demanded;

"Darlin, are you alright?"

Taking a deep breath as the spasm passed but unable to trust the steadiness of her voice, she simply offered a slight nod. Lucas couldn't help but notice that she was doing the breathing exercises as she was pushed into the chair, glancing at his watch to mark the time as he also noticed how she closed her eyes tightly before opening them to offer him a nod of agreement. Seeing the interchange, Doug quipped;

"I think that's far enough, Sheriff."

Motioning towards Jerry, he ordered;

"Jerry, why don't you see if the good sheriff has anything dangerous he needs to be relieved of."

Watching as his accomplice began patting the man down, Doug nodded in satisfaction as Jerry advised;

"He's clean, Doug."

Turning to Doug, Lucas demanded;

"Alright, you got me in here, now, what do you want?"

Doug couldn't help but smirk smugly as he ventured;

"Given your pull, Sheriff, I'm sure that you can easily get us transportation to the airport then a plane out of this place."

Nodding, Lucas countered;

"Fair enough."

Motioning towards Dara, Lucas ordered;

"Just as soon as you let my wife go."

Laughing at the gall the man seemed to possess, Doug shook his head;

"Sheriff, somehow I think you missed the class in law enforcement that dealt with hostage negotiation. You're in no position to make any demands."

Noticing Ben's quiet approach from the hallway, Lucas readied himself as he made his way a little closer towards Doug and Dara. Assuming his intentions, Doug's hand snaked out to snatch Dara's arm as he jerked her roughly to her feet before he threatened;

"Buck, you must think I'm joking. I assure you I'm not, unless you've grown tired of your wife I suggest you stop, right there."

Before he realized what was happening, Brad felt as if he had been bitten by something as twin needles attached to wires were fired into his back, near his spine just before he felt an earth shattering jolt of electricity flow through his body as Ben fired the taser, continuously until the man was unconscious. Lucas, seeing the advantage, turned and landed a solid right hook against Jerry's jaw, knocking him into a support pillar, which in turn knocked him unconscious. Spinning around he saw the stunned look on Doug's face as he quickly tried to pull the gun from his waistband. Dara, realizing his intentions, leaned forward as she moaned in obvious pain before she brought her elbow forward before slamming it back to knock the gun from his hand before he could raise it as well as lifting her foot to bring the heel of her shoe down sharply on his foot, forcing him to release his grip. Seeing his opportunity as Dara moved away from the man, Ben launched himself to tackle him to the ground as he pushed the gun well out of his reach.

Seeing that she was safe, Lucas opened the door as Floyd and his other deputies came in to help Ben cuff the criminals before reading them their rights so they could be taken into custody. Ben couldn't help but smile at her ingenuity as he approached Dara to place his hand on her shoulder as he praised;

"That was some acting, Dara; making him think you were having a labor pain to break free of him."

Breathing through the spasm, Dara glanced over her shoulder, the pain obvious on her face as she ground out;

"I've got news for you, Ben. I'm no actress,"

His eyes widening, Ben demanded;

"You mean that you're in..."

Nodding, she finished his statement;

"Labor."

With that she began to sag weakly as her knees started to buckle. Ben, seeing what was happening, stepped up close behind her to let her lean on him as he exclaimed;

"LUCAS!"

Turning and seeing the reason for Ben's panicked voice, Lucas crossed the space between them to take in his wife's weakened condition, not to mention the spasm of pain that had her so firmly in its grip. Glancing to his watch, his head snapped up as he demanded;

"Ben, is this her first pain you've seen?"

Shaking his head, Ben offered;

"No, Lucas. She had one when she got away from that bastard and then another one before I called you, now this one."

Lucas did a quick calculation as he realized that in the space of roughly ten minutes, she had four contractions. Cupping her face, he demanded;

"Dara, baby, look at me. When did this start?"

Exhaling sharply as the wave of pain subsided, she looked into her husband's face as she offered;

"The first one was about thirty minutes ago, give or take."

Nodding his understanding, Lucas suggested; 

"Okay, maybe this is just false labor."

No sooner had he made the speculation then he saw a look of intense pain cross his wife's face as her eyes widened just before she screamed as a rush of liquid pooled at her feet. Lucas and Ben looked at each other in fear as Ben offered;

"Lucas, I don't think this is false labor."

Realizing the truth of Ben's statement especially when Dara bent over, her agony obvious with the tears streaming down her face, on the verge of collapse. Lucas grabbed her arm and looped it around his neck as swung her up in his arms before turning to Ben and ordering;

"Ben, get Rita, NOW! Then get a hold of Crower, I don't think we've got time to make it to the hospital."

With that he made his way to one of the private offices. Kicking the door open, he noticed a backless sofa against one of the walls. Crossing the space he gently laid her on the sofa as he noticed her sigh of relief as another wave of pain passed. His worry evident, he took her hand as he vowed;

"Darlin, it's alright. You're going to be just fine. It's no big deal if the babies are a little early, you heard Matt, they're weighing in pretty good so it'll be fine."

Turning her head weakly, Dara gave a slight shake of her head as she gave voice to his own fears;

"Optimistic aren't you? Lucas, something is seriously wrong, I don't know what, but the pains are too fast and too strong."

With that she groaned as another spasm wracked her body, as she exclaimed;

"OH DEAR LORD, I FEEL LIKE I NEED TO PUSH!"

His brow furrowing in serious concern, Lucas took matters into his own hands as he fell back on his medical training before positioning his wife's legs. Examining her, he suddenly understood the reason for her statement, realizing that he didn't have time to wait for Rita, Crower or anyone else since she was crowning, Lucas took a deep breath as he spoke in a calm tone;

"Alright, darlin, I know this isn't how we thought this was going to happen, but it looks like our babies are ready to come into the world. NOW. I'm going to count to ten and while I do I want you to push, alright?"

To say that she was concerned by the fact that her husband was delivering their children, was to say the least, frightening to Dara. However, she also knew two things without a doubt. One; she knew that she trusted her husband implicitly and if he said she had to deliver now, then there was no doubt it had to be now. Two; that, given the tsunami of pain that was tearing through her body at the moment, she had no choice as Lucas began counting and she gave her all into pushing their child into the world. Once Lucas had reached ten, she fell back, exhausted, as she tried to catch her breath before repeating the process four more times before hearing a tiny wail coming from the tiny creature in her husband's hands.

Just as Lucas swatted their son's backside to force a cry from the baby's lungs, Rita, Ben and Matt rushed in, shocked by what they saw. Instincts quickly took the place of shock as Rita rushed forward to take the baby from Lucas to clean him and wrap him warmly in the blankets that Ben had found in the trunk of his car. Matt, quickly assessing the situation, nodded as he attempted a humorous observation;

"I see that you decided to start without me, young lady."

Breathing heavily, Dara shook her head as she struggled to speak;

"Not, exactly, my choice."

Noticing how she seemed to be struggling, Matt motioned to Rita who, carefully, handed the baby to Ben as she pulled the blood pressure cuff and stethoscope from Matt's bag. Checking Dara's vitals, Rita's eyes widened as she turned to Matt, shaking her head;

"Matt, her BP is extremely low and her heart rate is erratic."

Turning to Matt, Lucas demanded;

"Harvard, what's going on?"

Finishing his exam, Matt explained quickly;

"This happens sometimes and if we were at the hospital, I could counteract it, but the only thing we can do is pray right now. We also have one other problem."

Raising an eyebrow in disbelief, Lucas quipped;

"Only one, Harvard, how did we get so lucky?"

Lifting his head to pin Lucas with his eyes, Matt admonished softly;

"Sarcasm won't help the situation or your wife."

Hanging his head in frustration of his own arrogance, Lucas nodded;

"You're right, I'm sorry. What's our other problem."

Sighing as he shook his head, Matt explained;

"This baby is breach; normally, I'd say we do a C-section, but that's not a possibility here. That being the case our only option is to turn the baby but that means I have to cut Dara to be able to do it. If I don't the umbilical cord can and will wrap around the baby's neck and strangle it if I try to deliver it without turning it."

His eyes widening, Lucas shook his head as he exclaimed;

"You can't put her through that, Harvard.."

Before he could say more, Dara placed her hand on his arm as she shook her head weakly before turning to Matt to demand;

"Save my baby. Whatever it takes, do it!"

Before Lucas could offer an argument, Matt began working on delivering the second baby. He couldn't help but feel as if he were in some type of surreal experience as he held his wife's hand tightly, especially when he felt her grip weaken as she turned her head, her eyes seemed to almost glaze over as if they were unseeing. Realization dawning on him as Rita exclaimed;

"MATT! HER BP IS DROPPING; FAST!"

Panic fueling his actions, Lucas cupped her face in his hands and, oblivious to everyone's presence, demanded harshly;

"DARA! DARLIN, OPEN YOUR EYES AND LOOK AT ME! IT TOOK ME TOO LONG TO FIND YOU, YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME NOW! DAMN IT, BABY, LOOK AT ME!"

Dara could feel herself going in and out and felt convinced at that moment that her time on earth was at an end. Turning her head, she noticed, what appeared to be, her mother, standing just behind her husband. She felt a slight smile curl her lips at the idea of being reunited with her mother, although her heart felt torn with pain at the thought of leaving her husband and children. Noticing her mother's approach, she could feel the warmth of her hand on her cheek as her mother knelt by her side. Dara couldn't help but notice that her mother was, once more, young and beautiful, just the way she remembered her from her childhood. Before she could speak, her mother's spirit shook her head as she admonished;

"Not yet, Little Bit, it's not your time, you've got many years ahead of you and many joys as well. Besides, you have two little ones who need their Mommy and Daddy. Now, you fight, Dara Cherice, I know you can do it."

Lucas had never thought he would ever find himself willing to offer a prayer until he found himself begging his wife to hold on. He was certain that he would lose her, until he heard Rita's astonished voice;

"I don't believe it, her BP is going back up."

Lucas grabbed her wrist as he took her pulse before offering;

"Her pulse is getting stronger."

Matt lifted his head briefly as he turned to Rita and ordered;

"She's too weak to push, Rita, you know what to do."

Nodding, Rita quickly moved to Dara's side and waited for Matt's signal. When he nodded she began gently pushing on Dara's stomach to help in the second baby's birth.

Fighting her way back to consciousness, Dara opened her eyes just as Matt exclaimed in triumph;

"GOT IT!"

Just before a tiny wail equal to their son's broke the mood as Matt advised;

"You've got yourself a daughter, who apparently has a good set of lungs."

Turning to look into Lucas' eyes, Dara sighed tiredly as she smiled weakly before venturing;

"Don't worry, love, you can't get rid of me so easily."

Inhaling sharply, Lucas brought his hand up to push the hair from her face as he leaned over to kiss her forehead before shaking his head, the relief evident in his voice;

"My love, you have no idea how thankful I am for that fact."

Bringing her hand up to place it against his cheek, she glanced past him to where Rita had finished cleaning up their daughter and was wrapping her in a blanket. Bringing her eyes back to stare into Lucas' she couldn't help but smile as she offered;

"This isn't what I had planned but happy anniversary."

Matt, having made certain that she was as stable as possible, given their circumstances, snapped to attention as he exclaimed in shock;

"Oh my God! Today is your anniversary, isn't it?"

Before either could say anything else, Rita and Ben approached to lay the babies in Dara's arms. Glancing down at the two tiny bundles, she couldn't help but smile lovingly as she greeted;

"Hello, my little ones, we've waited a long time to meet you. Although I would have preferred you make your entrance into this world a little differently than this."

Lucas couldn't help but stare in amazement at the sight she made holding their children, especially given the amount of pain he knew she had suffered and how close she had come to death. Looking at her now; a look of contentment as she smiled lovingly at their children, even the lines of pain that had marred her face earlier seemed to have disappeared. To Lucas, she looked even younger and more beautiful than before, something he found miraculous given he never considered his wife to be anything less than an extremely beautiful woman. He found his thoughts interrupted as Matt motioned towards Rita before advising;

"How about taking one of your babies so Rita can check her BP."

Sensing his hesitancy, Matt looked at him, stunned, before demanding;

"Oh you've got to be kidding me? I mean come on, Buck, when I walked in here you had just delivered your son and looked as if you had been delivering babies your whole life. But now that they're safely delivered and wrapped up, you're intimidated by them?"

Glaring at the man, Lucas began to offer a scathing response until he felt his wife's fingers tap his hand. Turning, his glare quickly disappeared as his heart swelled with love at the sight she made, holding their children in her arms, especially when she asked softly;

"Wouldn't you like to hold our daughter since you got to be the first one to hold our son?"

Finding he couldn't and, truth be told, didn't want to deny her anything, especially this, he gently took the tiny bundle in his arms and found himself staring in amazement into their daughter's small, cherubic face. He could see that the little bit of hair she had been born with showed the promise of mimicking her mother's; he found himself further amazed when she opened her eyes and they seemed to resemble Dara's. Chuckling, Lucas lifted his head to meet his wife's look of amusement as he observed;

"I think she's going to be your little twin."

Although he hated to interrupt the warm moment, Matt turned the attention to more practical matters as Rita advised;

"Don't ask me to explain this but her BP and pulse are back to normal."

Nodding, Matt explained;

"Okay, I've got you stable, but you lost some blood and, I'm fairly sure, you're going to want something for pain pretty soon. So, with that in mind, we need to get you three to the hospital so I can do a more thorough examination and make sure everything's fine."

Ben, having surmised the need after he had been relieved of the baby, had made arrangements for an ambulance, hurrying the paramedics into the room as he advised;

"Matt, the medics are here."

Nodding, Matt advised;

"So here's what we're going to do; Rita and I are going with Dara and these two guys in the ambulance."

Turning to Lucas, he explained;

"I want to check them over, make sure we have her situated and once she's settled in a room, you can see her. Okay?"

Glancing to the paramedics who were preparing the stretcher, Matt motioned for Rita to take the baby from Lucas as he stepped away and motioned for Lucas to follow him as he explained in a quiet tone;

"Look, I've got her fairly stable, but given the free fall that her BP did earlier and the blood she lost, until we get her to the hospital and I'm satisfied that she's truly stable I would prefer that she not move anymore than absolutely necessary."

Understanding his meaning, Lucas simply nodded as he approached the paramedics and demanded;

"Is that thing ready?"

At their confused nods, Lucas turned to his wife and gently took their son from her arms as he motioned to Ben, before placing the baby in his arms before offering;

"Darlin, Harvard and I don't want to see you jostled around any more than necessary."

With that he scooped her into his arms before turning to lay her on the stretcher as one of the paramedics secured her. Pulling the guard rail up on the side he stood on, Lucas narrowed his gaze as he ordered;

"Make sure you take it easy with her or you're going to need one of those things yourself."

With that he turned to Matt as Ben laid the baby in the physician's arms as he issued;

"Let's go."


	24. Chapter 24

**CHAPTER 24**

Lucas sat in the waiting room sipping a cup of coffee as he waited for Matt or Rita to let him know what the findings of his wife and children's exams were. Although he appeared the picture of deliberate calmness, he realized that if anyone knew just how fast his mind was racing they would have had him committed. He found the treadmill of thoughts that kept turning in his mind interrupted as Ben approached him;

"Lucas?"

Glancing up, he motioned to a chair as he advised;

"Have a seat, Ben. Everything settled?"

Nodding, Ben leaned across the space to hand Lucas Dara's bag as he advised;

"Yeah, I grabbed Dara's purse, not sure if everything's in it since it had been turned upside down."

Taking the bag from Ben, Lucas opened it and, finding Dara's wallet, opened it to see if any of her cards were missing. Flipping the divider that protected the photos, he couldn't help but smile as his eyes fell on the copy of their wedding photo. Turning it towards his deputy for a better view, Lucas shook his head;

"Hard to believe it's been a year today since that was taken."

Nodding, Ben ventured;

"Things definitely happen fast with you two; don't they, Lucas?"

Before he could answer Ben's inquiry, Matt entered the waiting room and poured himself a cup of coffee before taking the seat next to Ben as he began;

"Okay, she's completely stable now, and both babies are fully formed including their lungs. Your son weighed in at six pounds eight ounces and your daughter was six pounds two ounces. I'm putting them in an incubator for tonight."

Seeing the concerned look crossing his face, Matt rushed to assure him;

"It's just as a precaution. Their delivery was, to say the least, precarious and stressful the first twenty-four hours after birth is the critical time, so if no problems develop then we're home free."

Nodding his understanding, Lucas asked the question that had been eating away at him while waiting;

"Something I don't understand though, Harvard. Her labor hit her so quick and fast, not to mention how fast those babies came. This is her first pregnancy shouldn't it have taken her much longer, not to mention if it was that fast then shouldn't she have had an easier time? Not to mention what happened with her BP, Matt we almost lost her, do you have any idea what caused it?"

Shaking his head, Matt held his hand up in surrender as he begged;

"Okay, one thing at a time. First; given the stress of the situation she was in and the fact that she was trying to keep so calm during all of it, which was actually causing her extra stress; combine that with the size of those babies, it may actually be a good thing she went into labor early. Although I have to confess I would have much rather it been here then in a bank. The idea that her labor should have been much easier given how fast and hard it was hitting her is a common misconception. All that meant was that those babies were ready to be born and they were coming hard and fast. As far as her BP goes.."

Shaking his head, he confessed;

"That does happen sometimes, especially during premature delivery or multiple births. We could have counteracted it much faster here with medications but I have to admit, I can't explain how it turned around so fast. What we saw was nothing short of a miracle."

Lucas couldn't help but ask the question that was of the utmost concern in his mind at the moment;

"If she wants to, when she recovers, would it be safe for her to have another baby?"

Matt couldn't help but stare at the man in shock as he demanded;

"I don't believe you, that woman just went through hell bringing YOUR children into the world, not to mention, in all reality, she was dangerously close to dying and you're wondering if she can have ANOTHER baby?"

Narrowing his gaze as he glared at the physician, Lucas seethed;

"I'm not wondering if my wife can have ANOTHER baby, I'm wondering if we should try to make sure that my wife DOESN'T have another baby, Harvard. You seem to forget, I'm VERY well aware of what she went through; I just want to know if we need to prevent the possibility."

A look of shame crossing his features, Matt stammered;

"I'm truly sorry for jumping to conclusions. It's just that..."

The remainder of his statement was halted as Lucas held his hand up as he ventured;

"Let me guess; 'know how I was before.'"

Nodding, he offered;

"It's alright, Harvard, I understand. But just so we understand each other in the future; the ONLY concern I have for BOTH my wife and children is that they are healthy, safe and happy. Do we understand each other?"

Blanching at the intensity in the man's face as he stated his position where his family was concerned, Matt nodded before noticing how Rita was motioning to him from the hallway. Rising from his chair, he advised;

"Come on, they've got Dara settled in a room so you can see her now."

Leading the way down the hallway towards her room, Matt explained;

"Like I said earlier, I've got her completely stable. Now, she lost some blood and she's going to be tired and weak for a little while and..."

Unable to prevent himself from chuckling as he remembered how bluntly she had made her preference known when he had offered her something for pain, he advised Lucas;

"I gave her something for pain. Actually, when I made the suggestion she requested the biggest shot of Demorall available in the state of South Carolina, so that being said, don't be shocked if she nods off and believe me, when she does, she'll be out for the night."

Lucas pushed the door open and found himself unable to keep from staring at her. The nurses had taken her hair down and brushed it out for her; seeing it now spread across her pillow he couldn't help but marvel at the sharp contrast the dark, ruby, auburn curling mass made on the stark white of the linen, especially given how pale she appeared. He thought she had already fallen asleep as he came closer to her bed and noticed her eyes closed, but when he sat on the edge of the bed her eyes opened as she smiled drowsily at him before greeting softly;

"Hello, my love."

Taking her hand in his, Lucas responded;

"Hello to you, sweetheart."

Noticing the odd look in her eyes as she asked;

"Are the babies alright? Matt said they were but.."

She left the thought unspoken as he took a deep breath before smoothing a stray curl away from her face as he assured her;

"They're just fine, Harvard said that they were fully formed, including their lungs and that they weighed in well enough. He just put them in an incubator for the first twenty-four hours to make sure there weren't any type of problems."

He couldn't help but find himself somewhat shocked when she demanded;

"Did Mama get to see them?"

Lucas couldn't help but stare at her in shock as he asked quietly;

"Darlin, what do you mean? Sweetheart, you know that your mama isn't with us anymore, don't you?"

Giving a slight shake of her head, she offered a vague argument;

"She was there, I saw her when Matt was trying to help our baby girl. She told me that I had to fight because they needed their mommy and their daddy."

He couldn't help but remember the look he saw in her eyes just before her blood pressure started climbing back to a normal range, or the presence that he realized he had felt. However, in his concern and panic he had pushed the feeling down, he now realized that he had been right, especially given Dara's confession regarding her mother's presence. Placing his hand along her cheek, Lucas brought her eyes up to meet his as he stated;

"Darlin, look at me."

When she opened her eyes a little wider as she tried to focus, he shook his head as he rationalized;

"Sweetheart, you cannot ever tell anyone else what you just told me. No one else needs to know. Alright?"

At her nod of agreement, he couldn't help but wonder; if she could see a spirit, even that of her mother, what else might she be capable of that she just wasn't aware of, at least right now. Pushing the thought down, Lucas turned as she requested;

"Can I please ask you something?"

Offering an amused chuckle, Lucas nodded as he lightly chastised;

"Honey, you know that you can ask me anything you want; what do you want to ask me?"

Lowering her gaze to the covers she asked timidly;

"Are you happy about having a daughter? I know that we never really said if we wanted a boy or a girl, but I know that the idea of a son would make you happy, but what about a little girl?"

Shaking his head in disbelief that she was worried over his feelings about having a daughter, Lucas chastised her lightly;

"Now how could I not be happy? Not only did you give me a son, but a daughter at the same time. Now THAT, Mrs. Buck, takes talent. But as far as our daughter goes.."

Lifting a strand of her hair between his fingers, he ventured;

"How on earth could I not be happy about having a beautiful little girl with hair just like her mother's and eyes as beautiful as yours. But to put your mind at ease, darlin; yes, I am very happy, about both."

Seeing that her medication was beginning to take effect, he pulled the blanket up closer around her before leaning over to kiss her softly as he advised;

"Now, you need some rest; you've had a very busy day. So how about letting what Harvard gave you kick in and do it's thing and go to sleep."

No sooner had he finished his statement then her eyes closed and he could tell that she wouldn't be awake before the morning. Hearing the door open behind him but knowing who he would find, Lucas simply motioned towards his wife before speculating;

"I'm assuming that she won't be awake much before the morning."

Nodding, Matt clarified;

"Actually, a better way to put it would be to say that she won't even know she's in the world until the morning."

Glancing at his watch, Matt asked;

"Are you going to stay here or go home?"

Lucas considered the man's question before venturing;

"Well, I guess I should let Mama Lucy, her sisters and Caleb know what's going on."

Nodding, Matt offered;

"I could tell Caleb for you, but to be honest, as much as he cares about Dara, I really think that the news that he has a brother and sister should come from you."

Agreeing with his logic, Lucas surmised;

"Since she's stable and I know she's in good hands, I'll go by the boarding house and tell Caleb and then head home to tell Mama Lucy and call her sisters. But, I'll be back first thing in the morning."

Matt watched as he left the room, shaking his head before turning towards Dara to observe softly;

"Well, I guess those of us who thought you would work miracles where that man's concerned were right."

With that he checked her IV before leaving her to pass the rest of the night in peace.

Hearing the knock on the door as she glanced at the grandfather clock, Loris rose from her chair, wondering if her husband might have lost his keys. She was, to say the least, shocked to find Lucas Buck standing at her door. The suspicion evident in her eyes, she demanded;

"Is there something that I can do for you, Sheriff?"

Understanding the woman's hesitation, Lucas explained;

"Yes, ma'am, I need to talk to Caleb."

Loris' face reflected her concern for the woman that she had begun to think of as her best friend as she demanded;

"Is everything okay? Is there something wrong with Dara?"

Rushing to assure her, he shook his head;

"No, no, quite the contrary; she had the babies tonight; a boy and a girl. Crower said that she and the babies are fine. He had to give her something for the pain so she's out of it for tonight, but I thought that I would let Caleb know myself that he has a brother and a sister."

Holding her hand over her heart in an effort to slow its beating once more, she offered a silent word of thanks before waving Lucas inside. Having heard the door, Caleb came bounding down the staircase to stop short when he saw his father standing at the bottom of the stairs. Before Lucas could say anything, a look of heartbreaking sorrow crossed the boy's face as he stated in a flatly disheartened tone;

"It's Dara, ain't it? Something's happened and she's in a bad way, ain't she?"

Although Lucas was gratified to realize just how much love his son had for his wife, he couldn't help but feel pain tearing at his heart for the fear he saw in his son's face as he rushed to assure him;

"No, Caleb. I promise, son, she's fine. As a matter of fact, she, your brother and sister are all fine."

Shock filling his face, Caleb, ventured;

"She had the babies?"

At his father's nod, he narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he demanded;

"But, she wasn't supposed to have them till next month, are you sure she's okay?"

Leaning against the railing of the staircase, Lucas pinned his son with his eyes as he rationalized;

"Caleb, son, if Dara was in any type of danger and if she wasn't perfectly fine, would I be standing here right now?"

Seeing that his statement had gotten through to his son, he felt relieved as the boy shook his head before confirming;

"No, sir. I don't expect you would, when I can I go see 'em?"

Considering, Lucas offered;

"Well, Doc Crower gave her something for pain so she won't be awake before the morning and he put the babies in incubators, just for tonight though. So you stay home from school tomorrow and I'll take you with me in the morning when I go back to the hospital. Alright?"

Nodding eagerly before turning and running back up the stairs to his room, Caleb laid in his bed and voiced his thoughts aloud;

"Well, Merly, I guess if you ain't gonna be here for me no more, at least I got me a step mama, brother and sister now."

With that the boy closed his eyes and found his rest for the night.

Hearing the front door open, Lucilla hurried up the hallway to greet her grandson as she demanded;

"How's Dara?"

Shrugging out of his coat, Lucas nodded as he offered;

"She's fine, Crower gave her something for pain so she's out of it till the morning. She had a pretty rough time delivering, not to mention scaring the hell out of me when her blood pressure almost bottomed out, but she came through it. The babies are fine; we have a son and a daughter, they're in incubators for tonight just as a precaution."

Nodding, Lucilla explained;

"Ben brought Dara's car back and told me what happened."

Shaking her head she lamented;

"That poor girl, she worked so hard today to fix you a special supper and everything. By the way, I put it away if you want me to heat it up for you, it's shrimp Ettouffee and crawfish bisque, plus she made chocolate mousse."

Turning to his grandmother in shock as she listed what his wife had planned for their anniversary, he couldn't help but feel bad as he observed;

"My poor, darlin, she went to all this trouble and she can't even enjoy it."

Making his way to the kitchen, he took a seat at the table as his grandmother began fixing him a plate. After two helpings, he couldn't help but praise;

"It may be wrong to say this, Mama, but if any of those fancy New Orleans chefs ever tried my wife's cooking they'd slit their throats."

Chuckling, Lucilla ventured;

"Lucas, boy, don't you think that you may be a little bit biased when it comes to that girl?"

Rising from his chair to put his plate in the sink, he leaned over to place a kiss on his grandmother's cheek as he shook his head;

"No ma'am. I'm just telling it like it is."

Noticing a box on the side table, Lucas motioned to it as he asked;

"What's that?"

Suddenly remembering the purpose of Ben's earlier visit, she turned and advised;

"I almost forgot; when Ben brought Dara's car he said this was in the front seat. He said that Davis Warren told him it was your anniversary present. That's what Dara went out for today."

Curious, he ventured;

"Well, she went to a lot of trouble and I don't want to disappoint her."

With that he began ripping the wrapping from the box before he tore into the box and sorted through the tissue paper. Shocked when he reached the contents, Lucas turned to his grandmother before exclaiming;

"I can't believe that she managed this."

A look of perplexity crossing her face, Lucilla demanded;

"What? What is it?"

Pulling the contents of the box out, Lucas placed the set of books on the table as his grandmother questioned;

"Is that what I think it is?"

Nodding. Lucas clarified as he picked up one of the volumes to inspect it closer;

"Not only is it what you think it is, but it's a first edition as well."

Shaking her head, she offered an amused chuckle as she explained;

"Well no wonder she was so excited when she left. She told me that she had tried to get them but didn't think it was possible, but, somehow, Davis Warren managed to find them for her and they showed up today."

Gathering the books to place in the box for the moment, Lucas couldn't help but state;

"You know something, Mama?"

Shaking her head, Lucilla waited for him to continue;

"Waiting for that girl and making her my wife was the smartest thing that I ever did. Not for this.."

Motioning to the box, he continued;

"But for the fact that she loves me enough to want to do something like this for me. Not to mention what she gave me today."

Turning, he made his way to his bedroom to see about getting some rest, although he couldn't deny that sleeping without the benefit of his wife next to him was going to find him hard put to actually finding rest.

Despite his assumption that sleep would be hard to find, Lucas woke the next morning to the realization that he had fallen asleep almost as soon as he his head had hit the pillow. Making his way downstairs to the kitchen after he had showered and dressed for the day, he wasn't shocked to find Caleb sitting at the kitchen table with Mama Lucy, waiting for his father. Ruffling the boy's hair as he passed by to get a cup of coffee, Lucas ventured;

"Couldn't wait to see your brother and sister, huh?"

Nodding, Caleb explained;

"I thought that I'd go ahead and come on over. By the way, what you going to call the babies?"

Pausing for a moment, Lucas realized that neither he nor Dara had considered any names for their children. The one time they had mentioned it, both had agreed to wait till closer to their births before committing. Shaking his head as he answered his son, he explained;

"I don't know, Caleb. We were waiting till it got a little closer to time for them to be born; we didn't expect them to be born early. I'm sure we'll figure it out after I talk to Dara."

Glancing at the wall clock, Lucas motioned to the the living room as he asked;

"Caleb, how about getting me the cordless phone and the address book out of the desk drawer in the living room, would you?"

As the boy made his way from the room, Lucilla turned to her grandson as she placed his plate on the table;

"Shouldn't you call her sisters and let them know what happened?"

Nodding, as he took his place at the table as Caleb returned to hand him the father and address book, Lucas advised;

"That's what I'm getting ready to do now."

With that, he flipped through the book until he found what he was looking for and began dialing his sister in law's number. Waiting until he heard her voice, he began;

"Hello? Kara? This is Lucas. No, everything's fine, actually better than fine, Dara had the babies last night; we have a son and a daughter. Yes, five weeks, but the doctor said that she and they are fine. The babies weighed in fairly well and are fully formed and breathing on their own just fine. I will, I'm about to go back to the hospital now. I will, you too."

With that he ended the call before finishing with his breakfast as he turned to his grandmother to offer;

"Would you like to go see your great grandchildren?"

Shaking her head, Lucilla explained;

"Not this morning. She's had a rough enough time; I'll have plenty of time to get to know those babies when they come home."

Nodding his understanding, he turned to Caleb as he rose from his chair;

"You ready to go meet your brother and sister?"

At the boy's eager nod, Lucas motioned towards the front door before following behind Caleb.

Making their way up the hallway towards Dara's room, Lucas advised Caleb as they stopped just outside the closed door;

"You stay here for just a second, son. She might still be asleep or the doctor could be in there, so let me see what's going on first, okay?"

At his nod of agreement, Lucas quietly opened the door to find his wife still sleeping. Stepping into the room, he pushed the door closed before approaching the bed. Setting the dozen roses he had brought her on the bedside table he leaned over her to place a gentle kiss on her lips. Feeling the corners turn up into a smile, he sat on the side of the bed as she opened her eyes to offer sleepily;

"Hello."

Pushing her hair from her face, Lucas greeted;

"Hello yourself sleeping beauty. How are you feeling?"

Stretching slightly as she sighed, she shifted herself somewhat to a more upright position as she shrugged;

"A little tired still and a little sore, but other than that, I'm fine."

Motioning to the flowers, she asked;

"Are those for me?"

Raising an eyebrow in disbelief, Lucas quipped;

"Unless you happen to know someone else who happened to have given birth to my children last night; they're for you."

Offering a slight chuckle, she challenged;

"There better not be anyone else."

Lucas couldn't help but laugh as Matt entered the room, followed by Caleb who was eager to, not only see his step mother and siblings but give her the pink and blue stuffed animals that he had brought for his brother and sister. Seeing that she was awake, Matt nodded;

"Well you definitely look a little more rested than you did last night so on that note would you be interested in knowing that your son and daughter are out of the incubators and no signs of any problems. They were both examined this morning and passed with flying colors. So, on that note, how would you like to hold your children?"

Nodding eagerly, Dara's eyes lit up as she affirmed;

"Yes, I would LOVE to hold my children."

Opening the door, Matt motioned for the nurses to bring the two bassinets into the room that held their babies. Lucas couldn't help but feel amazement by the way that her face lit up at the sight of their children. Watching as the nurses laid a baby in each of her arms, Matt motioned for them to leave to give the new family some privacy. Timid at first, Caleb peeped at his siblings as he voiced;

"They sure are little, ain't they?"

Nodding, Dara agreed;

"Yes, but trust me, they'll grow much faster than we want them to."

Turning to offer the boy a smile she motioned to the space on the side of the bed as she offered;

"Sit down, Caleb."

When he complied, she asked;

"Would you like to hold one of them?"

Dara couldn't help but offer an amused smile at the look of panic that crossed her step son's face as he asked haltingly;

"You sure it's a good idea?"

Giving a slight shrug of her shoulders, Dara offered;

"Well, do you plan on spending time with your brother and sister?"

Looking slightly taken aback, Caleb gave her a strange look before the thought struck him that, just maybe, she was afraid of what he might do to his siblings. Sadness touching his eyes, he asked;

"You're afraid I might hurt them, ain't ya?"

Dara couldn't help but feel remorse for having, obviously, made the boy feel so saddened. Grateful for the ability that she and her husband had between them to communicate without the benefit of words, easily interpreting the knowing looks that they would exchange, she shifted their daughter into her husband's waiting arms. Reaching out, she tentatively placed her fingers under the boy's chin to bring his eyes up to meet hers as she ordered;

"Caleb, honey, look at me."

When he complied, she couldn't help but feel her heart breaking for the sadness she saw there as she informed him;

"First of all, I am not afraid that you might hurt your brother or sister. My point in asking you that was because if you are going to be spending time with them, don't you think it would be a good idea for you to get used to holding them and being around them."

Offering him a kind smile as she noticed the stray tear that had managed to slip down his cheek, she brushed it away as she tried to lighten the mood;

"Believe me, sweetie, I promise that these two are a lot tougher than we think. Especially given how they came into this world."

Seeing the grin that she had come to love on his face, she instructed;

"Okay, now, do you see how your father has his arms? Just like a cradle."

When he positioned his arms the same way, she nodded towards Lucas, who placed their daughter in the boy's arms as he reminded him;

"Just make sure that you support her head; there you go. See, son, you're a natural at this."

None of the adults could help but feel rewarded when a smile broke out on the boy's face as he studied his sister's face. Glancing up he offered;

"This is nice, they sure smell good."

As if a thought just struck him, Caleb glanced between Dara and Lucas to demand;

"What are we going to call them?"

Dara's eyes widened as she met her husband's look of amusement. Realizing that they had not settled that particular issue, she shrugged as she confessed;

"Well, to be honest, Caleb, your father and I sort of put that off; obviously longer than we should have. I guess we better figure that out now, shouldn't we?"

Nodding eagerly, Caleb asked;

"You got any ideas?"

Glancing down into her son's face and noticing just how much of her husband she could see in the infant's face, she lifted her head to lock eyes with Lucas as she suggested;

"How about Lucas Alexander?"

Lucas couldn't help but feel shock over his wife's suggestion; he wasn't surprised that she would want to honor her father in such a way, but he hadn't considered the idea of their son carrying his name as well. Nodding his approval, Lucas ventured;

"Alright, my turn."

Stepping closer to Caleb, Lucas gently pushed the blanket back to expose more of his daughter's face as he studied it carefully. Realizing that, with the close resemblance she bore to her mother and grandmother, there was really only one name that would do the little girl justice, Lucas made his decision as he explained;

"There's only one name that would fit this little girl; Gwenna Cherice."

Her eyes widening in shocked pleasure, Dara couldn't help but bite at her bottom lip as she tried to steady her voice;

"You didn't have to do that."

Nodding towards their son, Lucas returned;

"And neither did you, darlin."

Turning towards Caleb, Lucas demanded;

"What do you think, son?"

Considering for a moment, Caleb nodded as he ventured his opinion;

"I like em, they both sound real good."

Matt, hating to break up the family moment but, needing to turn to more practical matters, reluctantly explained;

"Caleb, I hate to do this, but the babies do need to feed, okay?"

Nodding as he placed his sister in his father's arms, Caleb leaned over to kiss his step mother's cheek before offering;

"I'll come back later and see you, if that's okay."

Dara took the boy's hand and squeezed it as she nodded;

"I'll be here and you know it is."

Watching as he hurried out the door, Matt couldn't help but feel grateful for the influence Dara was proving to be as the boy's stepmother. Turning back to face her, he asked;

"Okay, are you sure that you don't want to use formula? You still want to try to breast feed them?"

Tilting her head to the side in frustration, Dara chastised;

"Alright, Matt, make up my mind. Weren't you the one that told me that there were more benefits to breastfeeding over formula?"

Nodding, Matt agreed;

"Yes, but you also went through a very hard time delivering them."

Sighing in thinly veiled frustration before casting the physician a look that Lucas had come to know all too well meant her stubborn nature had kicked in, Dara stated;

"Yes, you're right, I did. However, Dr. Crower, do you happen to remember telling me that, even if I gave birth early, my body would know it and begin producing milk?"

At his confused nod, Dara hissed;

"Trust me, my body is FULLY aware that I gave birth and I would appreciate the opportunity to relieve some rather uncomfortable pressure at this moment."

Both men stared in disbelief of her statement, until Matt found himself blushing as he stammered;

"I'll let you be then, if you need any help or anything just ring for the nurse."

With that he hurried from the room, as Lucas found himself hard put to contain his amusement at his embarrassment. Irritated with her husband's amusement at the situation, Dara demanded;

"And just what are you finding so amusing, you didn't exactly notice either."

Shaking his head as he lowered himself to sit on the side of the bed, Lucas shook his head;

"Darlin, it's not really that obvious, I mean it's not like you're..."

Before he could finish his statement, she had placed their son in his arms to shrug out of her robe so she could prepare to feed their children. When the robe fell from her shoulders, he found himself hard pressed not to gape at the site as the front of her gown was straining with the effort to contain her much larger chest. Motioning for their son, she found herself smirking at her husband's reaction as she demanded;

"You were saying, my love?"

Unable to keep from shaking his head in disbelief, he offered;

"I stand corrected."

Offering an amused chuckle, she suggested;

"Well, just don't get too used to it. I'm pretty sure that I won't be able to give Dolly Parton a run for her money for very long. At least not when my body goes back to normal."

Shaking his head, he admonished;

"Now, honey, you know good and well that's not why I love you."

Nodding, she turned serious as she asked, somewhat, timidly;

"Sweetheart, are you sure that you want to stay? I mean, I'm new to this and I'm going by instinct."

Placing his hand over hers, he ventured;

"Well, I said that I wanted to be included in every aspect of their lives and this is definitely an aspect. Besides that, darlin, as I recall, you didn't know anything about making love when we got married but you turned out to be quite a natural at it."

Blushing at that unexpected compliment, she focused her attention on feeding their son, who shocked her by his strength as he began furiously nursing. Once he seemed full, she lifted him to her shoulder before patting his back until she heard a tiny gurgle. Laying him in the bassinet next to her bed, she took their daughter from Lucas and repeated the same steps, accomplishing her children's feedings with better aptitude than she had originally thought herself capable of. Leaning back against the pillows, she breathed a sigh of relief before finding herself shocked as her husband leaned in closer to kiss her deeply. Finding herself surprised by her husband's show of affection, when he pulled back she offered him a loving smile before asking;

"Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?"

Gazing into her eyes, Lucas placed his hand against her cheek as he explained without embarrassment;

"Because I love you very much and watching you breast feed our children was one of the most beautiful things that I've ever seen."

Curious as to his answer, Dara couldn't help but smile impishly as she questioned;

"Really, what was the most beautiful?"

She found herself blushing with pleasure as he replied without hesitation;

"You."

Once the nurses had returned to take the babies away to the nursery as well as the registrar to complete the birth certificates, Lucas couldn't help but notice the thoughtful expression on his wife's face. Unable to fathom her thoughts by the look in her eyes, he asked;

"Darlin, what are you thinking?"

Dara found herself having to refocus as she had become lost in the thoughts spinning around in her mind. Turning to her husband she confessed;

"It's just that, this all seems so strange. I mean a little more than a year ago, we were contemplating marriage and now, a year and a day later, we're parents. It just all seems a little overwhelming right now. Not to mention hoping and praying about what kind of parent I'm going to make."

Pulling her into his embrace, Lucas offered;

"Well, sweetheart, having met the woman who raised you, I happen to think you're going to be a wonderful mother."

Leaving the hospital so that Dara could rest, Lucas made his way to the station to deal with the red tape and paperwork that the previous day's bank robbery had produced. Walking through the door, whistling to himself in a good mood, he surprised Ben and Floyd who had never seen the man in such a good mood. Nodding his greeting, Floyd offered;

"Morning, Lucas. I heard about the babies; congratulations."

Despite his attempts, Lucas couldn't help but smile as he replied;

"Thank you, Floyd."

Continuing to his office, followed closely by Ben, who was holding a stack of reports awaiting Lucas' signature. Once he had settled behind his desk he and Ben began going over the paperwork from the bank robbery as well as Tim Ballard's shooting. Both glanced up in shock, having heard Floyd trying to dissuade her from disturbing them to find Selena Coombs standing in the open doorway; as usual she was clad in her usual uniform of mini skirt and spiked heels. Sighing in aggravation as he leaned back in his chair to cross his arms across his chest, Lucas demanded;

"What is it, Selena; can't you see that I'm busy?"

Batting her eyes at him through lowered lashes, she purred;

"My, my, Sheriff, I can remember that once upon a time you were never too busy for me, but that's not why I'm here."

Approaching his desk, she opened the bag that she was carrying to produce two matching teddy bears before setting them on his desk as she explained;

"I can't get by the hospital to see Dara, but these are for the twins."

Raising an eyebrow at her in question he demanded;

"No just how in the hell did you know that she had the babies yesterday?"

Offering him a look of disbelief, she reminded him;

"That is, after all, a small town; so when Sheriff Buck's wife goes into premature labor and gives birth at Trinity Trust, word tends to get around you know. Despite what you seem to think, I do happen to like your wife and consider her a friend, so I wanted to give the babies something."

Lucas offered a nod of thanks as she turned and left. Noticing been shaking his head he asked testily;

"What?"

Ben shrugged;

"Nothing, I was just thinking about how miracles never seem to cease."

Scowling, Lucas ordered Ben back to work.


	25. Chapter 25

**CHAPTER 25**

Given the stress and critical nature of her delivery, Dara couldn't help but be thankful that Matt allowed her to return home within a few days after giving birth. Having passed all of their screening tests with flying colors as well as her own speedy recovery, Matt, assured that she was well informed as to what she could expect and what she should be watchful for, felt more than secure in his decision to release, both, Dara and her children. From the moment the twins crossed the threshold of their home, held securely in their parents' arms, they were wrapped in love and attention, not only, from their parents but from their brother and great grandmother as well.

Having argued that two people in the same household with the same name would prove confusing, Lucas insisted, with Dara's gratefulness, that they simply call their son Alex. With the same logic, as well as having decided that Cherice was just too for for such a little baby, Caleb had taken to calling his sister, Riesa. Since, both, Dara and Lucas liked the nickname they took to using it as well.

Dara found herself amazed at just how easily her husband took to the role of fatherhood. Not only did he held with the babies' feedings and diaper changes, but he assisted in every facet of their care. She couldn't help but find herself astounded by his ready acceptance and mastery of whatever task presented itself. She, on the other hand, couldn't help but have doubts and concerns over her own maternal abilities.

Although he felt she was a wonderful mother, Lucas understood that a large part of her self doubt came from the depression that Crower had warned him might take placed after she gave birth. Despite his best attempts to prevent it, a couple of weeks later Dara found herself overwhelmed by, not only, the depression but a more severe problem.

Following the pattern that they had set since their children had come home, Lucas and Dara woke at the same time to tend to their children's needs with Dara making her way into the nursery and Lucas following as soon as he was dressed for the day. This particular morning, he couldn't help but notice a look of pain on his wife's face as he entered the nursery while she was trying to feed their son. Lifting Riesa from her crib to keep her occupied as she waited her turn, he studied Dara as she was forced to change from side to side; for some reason she didn't seem able to nurse for more than a couple of minutes on each side before finding herself forced to change. He could see by the look of pain on her face that the act was causing her severe discomfort; finally, after several attempts, she simply gave in and allowed Alex to satisfy his hunger, since the constant shifting was doing nothing but aggravating the infant.

Seeing the look of relief that crossed her face as she finished and placed the child once more in his crib, Lucas worried when he noticed the look of doubt she wore as she glanced at their daughter before shrugging as she took her place in the rocking chair and held her arms open to receive the baby. Handing Riesa to his wife, he demanded;

"Are you sure that you want to do this? It looked like you were having a hard time with Alex."

Having made her mind up to let her daughter nurse until she was satisfied, rather than frustrating her as she had done their son, Dara explained;

"I guess that I'm just really sore. Besides, we don't have much choice, they don't seem to leave me enough milk to pump into bottles and we don't have any formula yet. I'm sure that it will ease up."

Taking her statement at face value, Lucas handed their daughter over as he occupied Alex, although he glanced at her covertly and couldn't help but notice the way she grimaced as Riesa fed. Although he didn't like seeing the obvious discomfort and pain that she was enduring, he also realized that, given his lack of knowledge in this area, she may well be suffering something momentary as her body resumed it's normal course and that there may well be a possibly that what was happening was simply temporary.

Dara, having assumed that once she had a little time to rest after their first feeding, felt that the soreness would disappear. However, when it came time for their next feeding, two hours later, her hope that would be the case was quickly dashed anything she was now more sore than before, as well as feeling truly ill. Once she had fed the twins as best she could, she called Matt and asked him to recommend a formula to supplement the twins' diet, explaining that she felt as though she were coming down with something and didn't want to pass it on to the babies through her milk. Accepting her explanation, Matt volunteered to send a couple of day's supply of which ever formula he though would be best by Caleb, who had brought his lunch to him. Thanking him, Dara hung up the phone to go in search of Mama Lucy.

Finding her in the kitchen, as usual, preparing for their evening meal, Dara explained;

"Mama, I'm going to go lie down for a little while. I don't feel very well, I think that I might be catching the flu or something."

Lucilla found herself sucking in her breath when she turned and took in the girl's appearance; she was flushed and looked terrible. Wiping her hands on her apron, she approached Dara and placed her hand on her forehead, her eyes widening she exclaimed;

"Child, you're running a fever. You better go get in bed and I'll finish supper; and don't you worry about them babies; I'll tend to them."

Nodding her agreement, Dara advised her;

"Matt's sending some formula by Caleb for the babies. I don't think that I should nurse them; I might give them something through my milk."

Agreeing with her logic, Lucilla shooed her upstairs with strict orders to rest.

Dara settled in her bed, beginning to feel truly terrible; her breasts were hurting worse with each hour that passed. She found herself forced to lie flat on her back, and even then they still ached; add to that the chills as well as the achy feeling that had invaded her body and to say she felt horribly was a true understatement. Despite everything she was finally able to fall asleep. When she woke and glanced at the bedside clock, she realized that it was almost time for Lucas to walk through the front door. Hearing his footsteps on the stairs she tried to turn on her side towards the door and found herself yelping in severe pain as her chest came into contact with the mattress.

Having heard her distress, Lucas took the remaining steps two at a time before pushing the door open and flipping the light switch. Startled by what he saw, he quickly crossed to her side of the bed; he could see that she was seriously ill given how terribly flushed her face was as well as the fact that she was visibly shaking with chills. Placing his hand on her forehead, Lucas sucked in his breath as his eyes widened in concern by the fact she was burning up with fever. Snatching the blanket from the foot of the bed he wrapped it around her shoulders to try and stop her chills but when he tried to pull it closed over her chest she shrieked and shrank away in pain. He immediately understood her reaction and, pushing the blanket from her shoulders, began unbuttoning her blouse to push it open, exposing her breasts, shocked by what he saw, he demanded;

"Honey, how long has it been THIS bad?"

Dara shook her head;

"I've felt bad all day, but I thought that I just might be coming down with a virus or some type of bug, but I don't think that's what this is anymore."

He couldn't help but agree with her statement, especially given the fact that both of her breasts were severely swollen as well as angry red. Lucas tried to gently examine her but as soon as he touched her she immediately shrieked from the pain, however, he was able to detect a hard lump. Inhaling sharply, his mind made up, he quickly dialed Crower's office number and began describing what was going on once he answered, he wasn't shocked when Matt demanded that he bring her immediately to the ER. Seeing the difficulty that she was having trying to refasten her blouse after he had told her of the conversation with Matt, Lucas decided to solve the problem as he opened their dresser drawer to quickly snatch one of his shirts out. Approaching her with it, Dara looked at him in disbelief as she questioned;

"Sweetheart, what am I supposed to do with that; you realized that I could fit another person in there with me, right?"

Taking her own blouse from her shoulders he held his shirt open for her to slip on. Shrugging, she slid her arms into it as he turned her around and began buttoning it as he explained;

"That's the idea, this way it's not tight across your chest; get the picture?"

Grateful for his foresight, Dara simply nodded as she rolled the sleeves up. Catching a glimpse of herself in the dresser mirror, as well as the amused look her husband was wearing, Dara turned and quipped;

"You are finding way to much amusement at my expense, you realize that don't you?"

Placing his hand over his mouth to stifle his amusement, Lucas placed a somber look on his face as he ventured;

"Darlin, I don't think your being in pain is amusing at all. But you have to admit."

Taking her hand to lift her arm slightly as he closely studied the picture she made wearing his shirt, which fell to her knees, he shook his head;

"You do remind me of a little girl like that as opposed to a woman old enough to be my wife and the mother of my children."

Turning serious as he noticed her grimace when her arm was lowered and touched her breast, Lucas led her downstairs and after explaining to his grandmother and son that Matt wanted to see her, he settled her in the car and couldn't help but notice how she leaned her head against the door, obviously feeling tired and weak.

Thirty minutes later as Dara sat on the examination table as Matt removed the thermometer and shook his head as he confirmed;

"Well, it's what I was afraid it was."

Asking the question that concerned him the most, Lucas demanded;

"What is it and can you cure it?"

Nodding, Matt assured them;

"Yeah, I can cure it, but it's going to put Dara flat on her back, literally, for about another two weeks."

Glancing between the two men, Dara asked in frustration;

"Well since I'm the one with it, would one of you care to let me in on what IT is?"

Matt placed his hand on her shoulder as he apologized;

"I'm sorry, hun, What IT is, is that both of your breasts are abscessed; severely. We're going to have to drain the infection from them, which means that, for one, you'll have to stop breast feeding and two, you'll have to be extremely careful how you move for a couple of weeks, depending on how many stitches you require."

Dara couldn't help but look at him in shock as she demanded;

"Both of them; how?"

Shrugging, Matt ventured;

"Well, you're nursing twins, remember? So it's not really that surprising."

The sadness apparent on her face, Dara speculated;

"When you said that I would have to give up breast feeding, you didn't mean temporarily, did you?"

Offering her a look of sympathy, Matt nodded;

"I'm sorry, but by the time that you'd be able to feed them again, they'll have adapted to formula, not to mention the antibiotics will more than likely dry up your milk anyway."

Patting her shoulder, he offered;

"I really am sorry, Dara."

Sighing in resignation, she shook her head;

"It's not your fault, Matt. So when do we do this?"

Glancing between the two, Matt suggested;

"Well, if you want, I can go ahead and do it tonight. And, if you do well enough, I'll let you go home just as long as you promise to take it easy."

Raising an eyebrow as her face took on a look of sarcasm, she quipped;

"Do I have a choice?"

Shaking his head as he offered a slight chuckle of amusement at her sarcastic mood, Matt confirmed;

"No, not really. Hold on a second and I'll go set everything up."

With that he left the room to make the necessary arrangements. Seeing the turn that her thoughts were taking by the look in her eyes as she hung her head, Lucas placed his finger under her chin to lift her eyes up to meet his as he assured her;

"This isn't your fault and if makes you no less of a mother just because you can't breast feed. Besides, look at the bright side; now, I get to help feed them too and one doesn't have to wait their turn."

Seeing the caustic look on her face, he wasn't shocked when she quipped;

"Oh yeah, that's a really big consolation, thanks a lot."

Just then, Matt returned and as Lucas helped her into the wheelchair, he explained;

"It shouldn't take too long, we'll give her a local to numb the area, so just wait outside and I'll let you know when we're done."

Lucas waited patiently for Matt to appear, finally, he entered the waiting room and explained;

"She did fine. We got all of the infection and she has a total of two stitches on either side of her breasts; they'll dissolve themselves, so unless she has complications, she should be fine. Her range of motion is going to be a little limited for a few days though. She can't raise her arms over her head, so you'll have to help her bathe and wash her hair, stuff like that."

Nodding, Lucas asked;

"When can I take her home?"

Matt motioned down that hallway as he noticed the nurse pushing Dara in their direction;

"Now is fine. I have to warn you though, she's going to be groggy from the local I gave her as well as the pain medication. Once you get her home just put her to bed and let her sleep it off."

Reaching into his lab coat pocket, he handed Lucas two bottles of pills before explaining;

"These are antibiotics, make sure that she takes them. They'll kill whatever, if any, infection that she may have left; but she should be good as new when she and the twins come in for their checkups."

Once they reached home, Lucas tried to help Dara out of the car and into the house, but it was obvious that the pain medication had her severely disoriented, especially when she stumbled trying to find her balance. Worried that she might fall and tear her stitches, he placed her arms by her sides and sternly ordered;

"Don't move your arms."

With that he swept her up into his arms and made his way into the house to be met by Lucilla and Caleb. Noticing her groggy state, Lucilla asked in concern;

"Is she alright, Lucas?"

Nodding, Lucas answered as he made his way up the staircase;

"She'll be fine, Mama. How about helping me put her to bed."

Following closely behind, Lucilla hurried to open their bedroom door and turn down the covers as she offered;

"Do you need help putting a gown on her?"

Nodding, he explained as he searched the dresser for a nightgown;

"Both of her breasts were abscessed. They had to drain the infection out and Crower said that, between the antibiotics and the time that it's going to take for her to heal, the twins will have gotten used to the formula and her milk will have dried up anyway. That being the case, we need to mix up that formula for the babies' bottles."

Shrugging, Lucilla speculated;

"Well, they seemed to take to it well enough earlier, so that shouldn't be a problem."

Once Dara had been gowned, Lucas settled her in the bed, making certain that she was warm enough as he placed a kiss on her cheek, he couldn't help but realize just how right Matt had been as she closed her eyes and he realized that she was fast asleep. Following his grandmother out of the room, he questioned;

"When were they last fed?"

Lucilla considered before responding;

"We just got them changed and settled before you walked in and we fed them a few minutes before that."

Crossing the hallway, Lucas approached their cribs and once he was certain they were warm enough and settled for the night he hurried to join his grandmother and son in the kitchen to begin preparing bottles. Once their task was finished and he was satisfied that his children would have a sufficient supply, he advised his grandmother;

"I'll go tomorrow and buy a case of formula so we know we have enough."

Caleb excused himself to go back to the boardinghouse, promising to return early since his stepmother was incapacitated as well as not having any school the next day. Thanking the boy as he left, Lucas was grateful for the fact that the boy was taking to being a big brother better than what he had ever hoped was possible.

The next morning, Lucas chose to let his wife sleep as he tended the needs of the babies himself. Once he had them settled he made his way back to their bedroom to check on her and found her awake and crying. He knew that part of the issue was the postpartum depression the Matt had warned him would be possible, but he also knew that a good deal of it centered around the fact that she would no longer be able to nurse their children.

Sitting on the bed next to her, he gently pulled her into his embrace, careful not to put any pressure on her chest. Rocking her gently, he stroked her hair until her tears stopped, once she had calmed, he drew back somewhat to offer her a tender smile as he promised;

"It's alright, sweetheart; you're entitled to be depressed given everything that you've been through. If you want to cry, or shout or scream, you go ahead; I'll be here for you."

Dara couldn't help but stare at him in loving amazement as she placed her hand on his cheek to asked;

"You put up with a lot from me, don't you?"

Taking the hand against his cheek, Lucas gently kissed her palm before shrugging his shoulders as he returned;

"So do you, but you're worth whatever it takes to keep you."

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Dara pulled his head down to kiss him before vowing;

"I do love you and I promise, I'll be back to normal just as soon as possible."

Holding her closer, Lucas simply nodded his acceptance of her statement.

Having been born and raised in a small, rural area, Dara had always had an appreciation for the quiet life of a small town, but never so much so as she had now that she was in such desperate need of her husband's help. Thankfully, Lucas was more than capable of taking over the care of their children with Lucilla as a backup. Luckily, he only had to make the occasional trip to the station to sign reports or for the occasional emergency, but for the most part, Ben and Floyd were able to handle everything else, especially since they felt that Lucas was needed more at home right now than at the station.

Per her husband's insistence, Dara spent a great deal of time in bed; resting. Despite Lucas' insistence that she rest, she insisted on helping with her children's care and although she hated not being able to breastfeed their children anymore, she couldn't help deny the satisfaction she felt at seeing the enjoyment that it brought to Lucas to help feed their children. After about a week, Matt had ventured by to check on her progress and assured her that she should be good as new after about another week.

Although Lucas had voiced his displeasure at, what he considered, the intrusion from Loris and Selena, especially Selena, when they had paid a visit to discuss the outreach program with Dara, he debated holding his tongue. However, when Dara insisted that she needed something to occupy her time or she would go crazy and seeing that working on her brainchild was helping her deal with the depression that she had felt, he found he couldn't refuse her, given the positive impact that it seemed to be having. The only stipulation that he had refused to budge on was the edict that if she found herself tired she was to rest. Although she was rather limited in her present condition, thanks to Selena and Loris' help, she was able to accomplish a great deal on her project.

Finally, after her six week check up and Matt's endorsement that she was once again good as new, as well as his assurances that the twins were thriving, Lucas relaxed his over protectiveness over his wife. Since Dara had now fully recovered as well as her certainty that her great grandchildren were well cared for by their parents and older brother, Lucilla announced that she was ready to return to her own home. As she was preparing to leave, Dara hugged the woman tightly as she shook her head;

"There isn't any way that I can ever thank you for everything that you've done, Mama Lucy."

Lucilla couldn't help but stare at the girl strangely as she corrected;

"Oh yes there is, you just take care of my grand babies as well as Lucas and yourself."

Offering the woman a smile as she squeezed her hand, Dara promised;

"You know that I'll always do that."

Hugging Caleb, Lucilla instructed;

"You behave and mind your step mama and be a good brother; you hear?"

Kissing the old woman's cheek, Caleb assured her;

"I sure will, Mama Lucy. You'll come back soon, won't you?"

Nodding, she promised;

"I'll be back before you know it."

Turning to look up at her grandson, she stated;

"Well, boy, you did me and yourself proud. You've got a good wife and a fine family; now just don't mess it up and I think that you'll do okay."

Shaking his head, Lucas vowed;

"Now a chance, Mama. Come back when you can."

Closing the door on the taxi that was waiting for her, he watched as she left, then, turning to his wife he gave her a kiss before stating he had things to do at the station as he left. Caleb, explained that he had been invited to stay at his friend, Boone's for a sleepover, waiting for Dara's permission before leaving, once she nodded and reminded him to behave, he hurried off. That had been another area of severe change; since the birth of the twins and her illness, Caleb had begun staying more and more with them as well as having begun to acknowledge her as, not just his step mother but, his mother.

Heading into the house and upstairs to check on her children, Dara found herself glad for the privacy. Seeing that her children were still sleeping, she decided that a long soak in a bubble bath after washing her hair was just what she needed. Once she had finished, she ventured back to the nursery to find her children now awake and waiting patiently for their bottles. Dara couldn't help but smile as she prepared their bottles before observing;

"Awake all ready, huh? Just like your father, as soon as you wake up you want food, well let's see if we can fix that; okay guys?"

Placing Alex in the swing to wait for his turn, she settled herself and Riesa in the rocking chair to start her feeding. Turning a pleading look to her children, she began stating her case;

"Look guys, Mommy really needs a favor from you guys tonight, okay? Mommy and Daddy haven't had any alone time in a long time, so I need you guys to behave yourselves tonight; okay? You've already had your baths and now I'm feeding you, I'll change you before I lay you down, so what do you say, do we have a deal?"

Watching Riesa's reaction to her words, she couldn't help but smile when she saw the infant raise her eyebrow in perfect imitation of her father. Laughing, she praised;

"That a girl, I knew that I could count on you."

Glancing at Alex, she asked;

"Well, how about you, sweetie; do you think that you can help Mommy out?"

Dara couldn't help but be amused as Alex stuck his fist in his mouth as if contemplating his mother's request before pulling it out and grinning as he kicked his legs. Shaking her head as she offered an amused chuckle, Dara surmised;

"I'll take that as a yes."

Once she had them fed and changed as well as warmly dressed for the night, she settled once more in her rocker to sing them to sleep. Entering the house, Lucas stood at the foot of the staircase and listened to his wife's soft, floating voice as she sang to their children. Listening for a moment, he shook his head; before he had married Dara, if he had heard someone singing such nonsense he would have scorned them, but all that he could think of now, listening to his wife singing their children to sleep, was how beautiful it sounded.

Once Dara was certain that both babies were sound asleep, she gently placed them in their cribs for the night. Having heard her husband downstairs, she hurried to finish dressing; brushing her now dry hair until it was shining, she then went to the dresser and hunted until she found the negligee that she had worn on her wedding night. Once she was dressed, she studied her reflection in the full-length mirror; she had lost all of the weight from her pregnancy as well as having acquired a roundness to her hips that comes only with childbirth, although she had increased slightly in bust size, she was still firm. Sighing, she stated her most fervent wish aloud;

"Hopefully, he'll still like what he sees."

Dara, after a private conversation with Matt, had decided that she needed more than simply being held tightly in her husband's arms at night and the passionate kisses she received. Pulling her shoulders back and holding her head high, she went downstairs in search of her husband.

Lucas was in the living room, stoking the fire, when he heard his wife's soft voice timidly calling his name. Turning, he couldn't believe his own eyes as he stood staring at her; she was wearing the same gown that she had worn on their wedding night and her hair had been brushed to a sheen and glowed from the light cast by the fire. The only thing that Lucas could think to compare her to was a goddess.

Dara, thinking that he was no longer attracted to her any longer by the lack of response from him, began unconsciously wringing her hands in indecision. Recognizing the action, Lucas crossed the space between them to take her hands in his as he lead her to the sofa before sitting on the sofa and pulling her down next to him. Seeing her thoughts reflected in her eyes, he pushed her hair back over her shoulder before placing his hand on her cheek. Closing her eyes to savor the contact, she placed her own hand over his before offering in a sad timid voice;

"If you don't feel attracted to me anymore I'll understand."

Lucas couldn't help but smile ruefully as he shook his head;

"Not attracted to you? Darlin, I can assure you it's quite the opposite. You are, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman that I've ever seen. You just take my breath away and leave me speechless, that's all."

Pulling her to him, he kissed her to prove his point; gentle at first, he became more demanding as he was met by her responses. Pulling back slightly, he looked into her eyes as he asked in a husky voice;

"Are you sure that you're up to this? I don't think that I can wait any longer."

Accepting her nod as her agreement, he pulled her up from the sofa before sweeping her up into his arms as he began kissing her once more as she began unbuttoning his vest and shirt to run her hands over his chest. When they reached their bedroom, Lucas cast a glance towards the nursery before asking;

"What about the babies?"

Offering a seductive smile as she caressed the back of his neck, she informed him;

"They're all settled for the night."

Shaking his head as he grinned leeringly, Lucas offered;

"Good, I intend to keep you busy for the night."

Giggling, Dara demanded;

"Really, is that a promise?"

Once they had found release in each other and were lying together in the aftermath, Lucas dropped a kiss on the top of her head as he stated;

"I told you before, it won't ever change between us, do you believe me now?"

Hugging him tighter, Dara nodded;

"Yes, I do. Just imagine when we're in our old age."

Pulling her closer, Lucas shook his head;

"I wont ever think of you as old, ever."

Turning to trace the line of his mouth with her fingertip, she laughed lightly;

"I'll remind you of that in say, twenty years."

With that they settled down to sleep until morning.

Dara returned to work, leaving the care of the twins in the more than capable hands of the nanny, Lois Carlton, that she and Lucas had chosen. She was a retired pediatrics nurse whose husband had died, leaving her with time on her hands; the woman reminded, both, Dara and Lucas a great deal of Gwenna.

Mrs. Carlton had so far proven to be excellent with the twins, doting on every new accomplishment. Add to the fact that Lucas had done a thorough background check as well as having known the woman's husband and having been instrumental in helping get the care that he needed during his illness, they had no doubts of the woman's trustworthiness.

Having decided to give up her private practice, Dara chose to work on a part time basis at the hospital, electing to concentrate her time between the outreach program and the hospital. Lucas and Dara found that their life had seemed to reach a level of contentment and security, however, both were about to be seriously disrupted.

The beginning came innocently enough; the hospital had begun to develop its psychiatric programs with more seriousness, hiring an imminent psychiatrist to head its department. Matt came by Dara's office one afternoon as she was preparing to leave; lounging by the door frame, he held up a piece of paper to ask;

"Did you see this?"

Glancing at the paper, Dara nodded;

"If that's the memo about the arrival of Dr. Landrum, then yes, I saw it. What about it?"

Shrugging, Matt explained;

"I was just curious as to your take on it, that's all."

Dara couldn't help but look amused as she laughed;

"You act as though I actually have some say over who they hire or fire around here."

Matt couldn't help but grin as he replied;

"No, but you do realize that, as far as any type of psychiatric support around here goes, it's either a padded cell in Juniper House or you."

Staring at him in astonishment, Dara shook her head;

"Oh great, some choice, Matt. Either being committed or me, that's a catchy thing to put on a business card. Actually, I think that hiring a psychiatrist, especially one with his reputation, is quite a feather in their caps. Besides that, this will help ease my guilt over only working part time."

Turning serious, Matt offered;

"You know, we do have a good day care here. Why not bring the babies to work with you?"

Her eyes widening in disbelief of his suggestion, Dara demanded;

"Are you kidding? It was hard enough to convince Lucas to let me come back part time, he would never allow me to put the twins in day care and you know that."

Nodding, Matt shrugged;

"Yeah, but I thought that I'd make the suggestion anyway."

Stopping on her way out the door, she placed her hand on his shoulder as she offered a smile;

"Oh relax, you know that you'll always be our favorite doctor."

Pulling the door closed behind her, she bid Matt goodbye as she made her way to the parking garage and her car. Hurrying to her parking space she was trying to re-balance her purse, briefcase and the files that she was trying to place inside the case. She glanced up just in time to collide with a man who was also preoccupied with his own balancing act. Too late to keep from bumping into the man, she watched helplessly as both their precarious loads inter mixed and scattered on the concrete floor. Looking at the mess at her feet, Dara swore;

"Damned, I'm already late. Terrific!"

Turning to the stranger she admonished;

"You could have watched where you were going,"

Sighing guiltily, she admitted;

"But then again, I could have too. I can't very well blame you for doing the same thing I was doing."

Bending down, she began to sort through the jumble to reclaim her own documents. Following her lead, the man knelt down and began to gather his own things together, looking across to Dara he stated;

"I am sorry, I guess that I was preoccupied as well."

Dara glanced up at him as she finished stacking her paper;

"It's alright, no harm done; we have everything back so it's no big deal."

When they stood, Dara couldn't help but notice how he towered over her, even wearing the heels she had on, she came up to just below his chest. Looking up, she noticed that he was good looking in a sophisticated way; he had dark, straight hair and bright blue eyes. Although he was attractive, she found no interest in him, preferring her husband's rugged strength to this man's quiet demeanor.

Glancing at Dara, he asked cautiously;

"I suppose that you've had a hard day with patients and such?"

Nodding her agreement, she replied;

"I suppose so; I'm a counselor here and it's been a very hectic day. I am sorry about the mess but I'm also late, so please have a nice day."

Walking around him, she headed for her car. Watching her walk away, he muttered to himself;

"Counselor huh? Well are you ever in for a surprise, Dara Chambers Buck."


	26. Chapter 26

**CHAPTER 26**

As Dara walked through her front door, she couldn't help but stop and stare in shock at the sight of her son and daughter crawling towards her. Turning to their nanny, she demanded, the shock obvious in her voice;

"When did they start doing this?"

Shaking her head, Mrs. Carlton expressed her own amazement;

"It's the most amazing thing that I think I've ever seen, I sat them on the play mat this morning and turned to get the book I was going to read them and before I could turn around they were both almost to the living room door way. I've chased after them all day."

Kneeling down to hold out her arms for her children, who, eagerly, crawled straight into their mother's embrace, Dara couldn't help but look perplexed as she questioned;

"But they're only three month's old, they just learned to sit up on their own a couple of weeks ago. How on earth did they learn how to crawl so fast?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Mrs. Carlton offered;

"I wish that I knew, Mrs. Buck. But I've noticed that they seem to be able to learn things very quickly; they must be the most gifted babies that I've ever been around."

Dara couldn't help but ponder the woman's statement before dismissing her for the night;

"Well, you go ahead and go home, Mrs. Carlton, I'll take them upstairs for their bathes and I'll see you tomorrow."

Once the woman had left, Dara made her way upstairs to tend to her children's needs for the evening. After she had fed, bathed and settled the babies for the night, she took her own bath before making her way downstairs to make herself comfortable so that she could relax and watch a rerun of her favorite black and white movie; Waterloo Bridge. Since Lucas had informed her that morning that he wouldn't be home until late and Caleb was at the boardinghouse she had no one to disturb her thoughts as she contemplated her children's latest achievement.

Entering the house quietly, Lucas followed the sound of the television to find his wife watching a movie. However, when he caught sight of her lost so deep in thought, he knew that she wasn't actually paying attention to the images on the box in front of her. Unaware that she hadn't heard the front door open or close, Lucas felt chagrined when he placed his hand on her shoulder and she yelped in surprise. Seeing the relief on her face when she realized that he was the one standing over her, he couldn't help but apologize;

"I'm sorry, darlin, I didn't mean to scare you."

Dara couldn't help but place her hand over her heart as she took a deep breath before offering a sheepish smile;

"It's alright, I guess that I was lost in thought and just didn't hear you come in."

Kneeling down, Lucas gave her a long kiss before pulling back as she asked;

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

Shaking his head, Lucas explained;

"Not exactly, but we've got a better lead then before, so we'll try again. By the way, what were you thinking about so hard?"

Tilting her head to the side as she offered him a look of disbelief, Dara demanded;

"Did you know that our fourteen week old twins are now fully crawling?"

Shrugging as he looked at her without surprise, Lucas asked;

"Well, that's good news, isn't ?"

Sighing, Dara shook hr head;

"I suppose so, although they shouldn't be doing that for at least another month or so."

The concern evident in her eyes, she ventured;

"Don't you think that it's slightly odd just how quickly they seem to be able to pick up on things? I mean, they were sitting up by themselves at eight weeks old and now, six weeks later, they're crawling. At this rate they'll be walking before they're six months old; I've never seen or heard of children progressing this fast."

Lucas met her look of inquiry, careful to mask his knowledge from her. He had suspected that, although Dara wasn't from the Cross bloodline, that wouldn't hinder the 'gifts' that their children would undoubtedly possess, inheriting from his bloodline. So the fact that their son and daughter were progressing so quickly came as no surprise to him. Hoping to reason with her and stifle her curiosity, he speculated;

"Well, sweetheart, you know that they were early; I've heard of premature babies being more advanced and as much time as you, me, Caleb and Mrs. Carlton spend with them, I'm not really surprised; they're smart babies to start with. Didn't Crower say that they were healthy at their last check up?

Nodding, Dara couldn't deny the fact that Matt had indeed given them a clean bill of health, stating his own bewilderment at their rate of accomplishment. Offering her, what he hoped, was a convincing smile, Lucas shrugged;

"Well then, there isn't a problem; they're perfectly healthy, normal babies who just happen to be able to learn quicker than most, that's all."

Raising up to kiss her forehead, he admonished lightly;

"Quit your worrying, little mother. Alright?"

Sighing in resignation, Dara agreed reluctantly;

"I suppose you're right; I should just thank God that they're healthy and alive, especially considering how they came into this world. Okay, I'll stop worrying and just be thankful."

Sighing inwardly with relief at her statement, Lucas' thoughts turned to other pursuits as he pulled her from the chair to enfold her in his embrace as he savored the feel of her in his arms. It never ceased to amaze him just how much he needed and wanted her; instead of growing accustomed to her and her body, he couldn't help but be fascinated anew everyday by her. Finding himself lost in the depths of her eyes, he offered suggestively;

"I don't know about you, but since I've already eaten some supper, I wouldn't mind just heading upstairs to bed for some desert."

Giggling, Dara shook her head at his play;

"You're incorrigible, you know that, don't you? If we keep this up I may well end up pregnant again before too much longer."

His eyes widening at her statement, Lucas nodded encouragingly;

"I wouldn't mind, would you?"

Dara looked at her husband, stunned by his statement. She had actually been contemplating over the past couple of weeks the idea of another baby, but, with a set of twins who were only three months old, as well as her work with the children's outreach program that she was trying to get off the ground, she felt that waiting was the best idea. Finally, she shook her head as she explained;

"No, not really, it's just that, with the twins only three months old and the program, I thought that we'd wait a year or so before having another baby."

Shaking his head, Lucas ventured;

"And practice all that self denial? Darlin, that just doesn't sound like a good idea to me."

Dara found herself gasping as she felt his mouth begin tracing a path from her ear, down her throat to just over her breasts; Offering him a seductive smile, she speculated;

"Well, now that you mention it, it doesn't really sound like that great of an idea to me either."

Her smile turning mischievous, she placed her hands on his chest and pushed him away slightly before issuing;

"There's just one catch though."

Suspicion in his eyes at the mischief gleaming in hers, Lucas demanded;

"Oh, and just what would that be, darlin?"

Taking a step backwards, she challenged;

"You just have to catch me first."

With that, she bolted through the living room and headed up the staircase. Lucas couldn't help but smile at her playful mood as he dropped his coat on the floor before taking off after her, catching her halfway up the stairs and pulling her tightly against him before asking;

"Now, what's my reward for catching you?"

Turning in his grasp to face him as she placed her hands behind his neck to pull him towards her, she ordered huskily;

"Guess."

With that she kissed him deeply as Lucas swept her up in his arms to hurry up the remainder of the stairs to claim the rest of his prize.

Lucas lay studying his wife's face, relaxed in contentment, reminding him of an angel at rest. Opening her eyes to find him studying her, Dara turned towards him to place her arms around his neck, stroking his hair she asked;

"What are you thinking?"

Smiling as he used his fingertip to trace the line of her mouth, he explained;

"I was just comparing you to Heaven on earth; you remind me of an angel when you look like this."

Her face taking on a look of perplexity, she demanded;

"Like what?"

Twining a strand of her long hair around his fingers, he couldn't help but smile at her tenderly before replying;

"All content and at peace, as though the worlds could pass us by and you wouldn't care just so long as we're together."

Shrugging her shoulders, Dara confessed;

"I'm not sure that I would notice or particularly care, when we're like this."

Pulling her closer into his embrace, Lucas offered;

"Neither would I, just as long as I'm holding you."

With that they settled into bed to let sleep claim them until morning.

The following morning found Dara entering her office to begin looking through her appointment schedule as Matt rapped lightly on her door. Glancing up she smiled in welcome as she greeted cheerfully;

"Hi, what's up?"

Stepping inside and pushing her office door to, Matt held up a memo that he had just received before asking;

"Have you seen this yet?"

Crossing the space to the mail basket attached to her door, Dara began sorting through the contents until she found the same memo as the one that Matt had. After dropping the rest of the mail from the basket on her desk, she sat down and quickly read over the paper before glancing up to ask;

"It just says that Dr. Devon Landrum had now officially joined the staff here at the hospital. We already knew that, so what's the problem?"

Shaking his head, Matt asked in a tone that conveyed concern;

"Have you seen this guy yet?"

Dara couldn't help but look at Matt in curiosity, given his trepidation regarding the new staff member, as she asked jokingly;

"No. Why, does he resemble the mad doctor Frankenstein or something? Matt, you make him sound like something ominous, he is just a psychiatrist after all; right?"

Despite the serious look he was wearing, Dara couldn't help but chuckle in amusement at her friend until she found herself shocked as a masculine voice responded;

"Oh, I've been tempted to try and resurrect the dead a time of two, but only at Halloween, mind you."

The surprise evident on their faces as, both, Matt and Dara turned in shock, not having heard the door open, to find a sharply dressed figure leaning against the door frame with his arms folded across his chest. Dara couldn't help but stare as she realized that it was the same man that she had collided with the day before in the parking garage. Matt, recovering from his shock quickly, offered;

"Dr. Landrum, it' s a pleasure to meet you. I'm Matt..."

Turning a cold glance towards Matt, Landrum nodded;

"Yes, I know, Dr. Crower. I've ready over your files, including the time that you spent at Juniper House. We really must discuss your take on their style of treatment."

Having effectively cut off the remainder of Matt's statement, Landrum strode purposefully towards Dara. Towering over her, he extended his hand to her and offered a charming smile as he ventured;

"And you must be Dara Chambers Buck. Dr. Whatley did you a great injustice when he described you as merely beautiful; you far exceed that descriptive."

Turning to face Matt, the irritation at the man's continued presence somewhat obvious, he stated more than asked;

"I'm sure that you must be attending to your rounds, shouldn't you Dr. Crower?"

Glancing to Dara, having noticed her ambivalence where this man was concerned, Matt silently asked what she wanted him to do. Although her distaste at the idea of being left alone with this man was evident in her eyes, she offered a slight nod indicating that she would be fine without his presence. His jaw tightening at the man's gall, Matt extended his hand to be taken in quick dismissal by Landrum as he grudgingly offered;

"It was nice meeting you, Dr. Landrum, I'm certain that we'll see more of each other."

Turning to Dara, he promised;

"Dara, I'll see you later, alright?"

Nodding, Dara promised;

"I'll see you for lunch, Matt."

Matt couldn't help but feel reluctant as he left Dara's office to make his way to the nurse's station to begin his rounds. He couldn't believe the amount of relief he felt as he glanced up in time to notice Lucas Buck walking up the hallway; stopping him, he admitted reluctantly;

"I'm glad to see you."

Lucas couldn't help but stare at the man in shock as he shook his head;

"I never thought that I would ever hear those words form you mouth, Harvard. Would you mind telling me why that might be?"

Nodding towards Dara's office, he explained;

"You're just in time to save your wife. The new head of Psychiatry is in there with her now and I get the distinct impression that she doesn't care for his company at all."

Frustration clouding his face by the man's admission, Lucas demanded;

"Then why in the hell did you leave her alone with him if you know that she doesn't want to be around him?"

Shrugging as he sighed guiltily, Matt confessed;

"He all but ordered me out of her office and Dara didn't want to create a scene so she agreed to it. You, on the other hand, he can hardly order her husband from the room, especially when he's the sheriff."

Understanding the man's point, Lucas nodded as he hurried to his wife's aid.

Trying to put as much space as possible between herself and Landrum, Dara had risen from her chair to stand behind it, disguising her gesture by placing documents in the file cabinet behind her desk. Although she couldn't put her finger on it, Dara knew that there was something about the man that made her very uncomfortable. Although she couldn't deny that he was handsome, being just slightly taller than Lucas with hair a darker shade than her husband's, however, where Lucas' hair tended to be wavy this man's was straight. His eyes were a deep shade of blue that Dara couldn't help but compare to ice, and although his job wasn't as physical as Lucas' could sometimes prove to be, he was still solidly built.

Dara couldn't deny that, under other circumstances, she might even be able to appreciate his good looks, but she couldn't help but sens that, underneath his calm facade, there was something else lurking. This was nothing like what she had felt with Lucas when she first met him, his was more along the lines of knowing that if crossed, he could and would be very dangerous. What she felt with this man was more like something trying to hide their truer self from everyone. She had been so involved in her own thoughts that Dara found herself having to ask Landrum to repeat the question that he had just asked. She couldn't help but notice how he continued to smile at her in a charming manner as he patiently repeated;

"I was just curious about your marriage, Mrs. Buck. I understand that you are married to the local sheriff."

Before she could offer a response, but were shocked to here the answer to Landrum's query from the open doorway;

"Yes, as a matter of fact she is."

Lucas didn't miss the intense look of relief that crossed his wife's face, or the fact that she was standing behind her desk chair, as though she was trying to put as much space as possible between herself and this man. Ignoring Landrum's presence, he walked past the man to stand next to his wife as he greeted;

"Hi, darlin."

Oblivious to the other man's presence, he leaned down and placed a sound kiss on his wife's mouth. Dara recovered her bearings enough to smile at Landrum as she offered;

"Dr. Landrum, I'd like you to meet my husband."

Extending his hand, Lucas finished the introduction;

"Lucas Buck, that's Buck with a B; I hope you enjoy your stay in Trinity."

Although he was seething inside at, both, the man's audacity as well as his presence, Landrum hid his frustrations and responded smoothly;

"I'm sure that I will, Sheriff. I was just getting better acquainted with your wife, after all, she is a part of the Psychiatry staff, so I'm sure that we will be working VERY closely together."

Accepting the obvious challenge that the man was issuing, Lucas' jaw tightened as his eyes narrowed. The man was OBVIOUSLY a stranger in Trinity, and although he had kept his word to Dara about his dealings into other people's lives, he had absolutely no qualms about how to deal with this man if he trespassed on what Lucas, most definitely, considered his territory. Lucas nodded as he smiled;

"I'm sure that you may feel the need to work very closely with her, Dr. Landrum, but my wife has very high standards when it comes to working in close confines and I'm positive that you wouldn't be up to her expectations."

Dara couldn't help but glance up at her husband, the shock of his statement obvious on her face. Deciding that he wasn't going to accomplish anything with her husband hovering over her, Landrum simply offered Dara a smile filled with charm before taking her hand to bend over it before placing a kiss on the back of her hand. His arm around his wife's shoulders, Lucas could feel her body stiffen at the contact and quickly realized that she had no desire whatsoever for this man to touch her in any manner. Glancing up, a gracious smile placed firmly on his face, Landrum offered;

"Good day, Mrs. Buck."

Turning to address Lucas, he nodded stiffly as he stated simply;

"Sheriff."

Once Landrum had pulled her office door closed behind him, Dara turned to Lucas and softly accused;

"I should be very angry with you for that performance."

Although he was expecting her to fly into him for his earlier performance with Landrum, he wasn't totally taken off guard when she simply buried her head against his chest before asking quietly;

"Please, just hold me."

Complying, Lucas began stroking her back before quietly asking;

"You sensed it too, didn't you?"

Glancing up at him, the look in her eyes one of confusion and concern, she nodded;

" I wasn't sure at first that I did, but I guess that my first impression was right."

Lucas couldn't help but shake his head at his wife's naivety;

"Darlin, you just can't appreciate what other men seem to see in you; do you?"

Offering him a look of chagrin, Dara shook her head as she argued;

"I've never considered that any other man besides you would look at me that way."

Placing his hand along her cheek before smiling sadly to confirm;

"Well, unfortunately for me, they do see what I see."

Although he was fairly certain as to her answer, Lucas offered;

"Honey, if you want to, you can always quit and go back into private practice."

Although he had been sincere in his offer, Lucas wasn't shocked when she simply shook her head, a determined look on her face as she rationalized;

"No, I can do more good here. Besides that, I need the hospital connections for the outreach program."

While he wasn't overly thrilled by her decision, he knew how important her project and her work was to her; that being the case, he knew that he was going to have to keep a close eye on Fulton County General's newest staff member. Lucas offered his support as he agreed;

"Alright, just promise me that where that man is concerned that you'll be careful. There's something about him that I don't care for, other than his obvious attraction to you."

Meeting his gaze, she promised him in a solemn voice;

"I promise, I will. But for now, please, just hold me for a little while."

Pulling her close to him, Lucas firmly made his mind up to the fact that Dr. Landrum was going to have to be carefully watched, especially when it came to his wife.

Sitting behind his desk, seething in rage and frustration, Devon Landrum found himself voicing his thoughts aloud;

"How dare that man disrupt my conversation with her."

Unlocking his lower desk drawer, he reached in to pull out a file folder containing several photos of the same subject; Dara. The images ranged from newspaper clippings announcing her marriage, various hospital news conferences, as well as snapshots. Taking one of the photos that showed her looking at the camera, he traced her outline with his finger as he spoke to the photo;

"It's alright, I'm a patient man and I've waited this long for you, a little more time won't make a difference. You'll see, sooner or later, what a mistake you made marrying that man and if not; I'll have you, one way or another."

Glancing at the clock on his desk and realizing that it was almost time for the board meeting being held upstairs, Landrum placed the folder back in the drawer and made certain that it was locked before leaving his office.

At that same moment, Dara was hurrying to the same meeting and found herself infinitely relieved to see Matt. Sitting at the end of the conference table, she motioned frantically for Matt to take the seat next to her, just as Landrum entered the room. Matt couldn't help but notice her sigh of relief as the man was forced to take a seat at the opposite end of the table; seeing how disturbed she seemed to be, he offered;

"Would you like to talk about it over lunch after the meeting?"

Realizing that the meeting was about to start, she simply nodded as the hospital administrator, Dr. Whatley, a man in his sixties who fit the stereotypical description of a doctor, began the meeting;

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us for our meeting today. Aside from covering our usual subjects, I would like to formally welcome the newest member of our staff. Our new head of Psychiatry; Dr. Devon Landrum."

As Landrum rose from his chair, he received the typical polite applause of acceptance. Rita, who was seated next to Dara, nudged her as she whispered;

"Wow! That's a definite improvement over some of these doctors."

Astonished, Dara turned to the woman before shaking her head;

"You like him, you can have him."

Offering her a sarcastic look, Rita quipped;

"That's easy for you to say. Look who you're married to, if I was married to someone who looked like Lucas Buck I wouldn't look at another man either."

Rolling her eyes in response, Dara turned her attention back to Landrum, just in time to get a huge shock to her system, thanks to Landrum's statement;

"And so I'm certain that all of you can also see the merits of the program that Mrs. Buck has outlined for the youth of Trinity. Which is why I intend to use all of my authority, as well as focusing all of my attention towards helping her to fully launch this program. Starting, of course, with the charity gala that she and her committee are organizing."

Stunned by the man's blatant statement regarding her brainchild, Matt wasn't shocked when he turned towards Dara to see the fury that was beginning to rise. He knew that she had put a great deal of time and effort into this program, even before her marriage and the birth of her children. Seeing her anger increasing with each passing second, he discreetly reached under the table to nudge her arm to gain her attention. When she turned towards him, he could see the fire flashing in her eyes as he shook his head to silently mouth the words;

'Not now, later.'

Realizing that Matt had a point about addressing the issue in her angry state, Dara took several deep breaths as she attempted to calm herself. Finally, feeling more in control of her anger, she sat patiently through the remainder of the meeting and waited until almost everyone had cleared the boardroom before approaching Landrum;

"Dr, Landrum, may I please have a moment of your time?"

Turning to address her, Landrum smiled as he offered;

"You may have all of my time that you desire, my dear. What can I do for you?"

Holding her head high, Dara looked him squarely in the eyes as she stated her position;

"First, and most importantly, I am not 'your dear.' Secondly, and just as important, I have devoted my time, effort, knowledge, as well as my blood, sweat and tears to my outreach program. I have fought and struggled to get assistance from officials, accreditation from the schools and volunteers to help. I do not appreciate you announcing, publicly, without first saying something to me what your intentions are for my program."

Landrum wasn't shocked to notice how she was carefully controlling her anger. He had considered his actions very carefully and had known that, by throwing his considerable pull behind her pet project, she would have no choice but to work closely with him. Putting a look of remorse on his face in his attempt to look the injured party, in the hopes of playing on her sympathies, he ventured softly;

"I had assumed that you would want the head of Psychiatry in your corner with this project, Mrs. Buck. I do have considerable pull and it would seem that my backing would help your project along considerably."

Sighing in frustration by the fact that, while he had a logical point, she was still no happier about his audacity then she had been a few minutes earlier. Finally, she relented;

"Yes, I supposed that you're right, however, I would really appreciate it if, in the future, you would please give me a little advanced notice, Dr. Landrum. Now, if' you'll excuse me, I have a luncheon date."

Turning on her heel she stalked out to the boardroom as Landrum leaned against the table as he crossed his arms over his chest before smiling as he muttered to himself;

"All that fire."

Waiting for her at the elevator, Matt couldn't help but notice the look of frustration that she wore as he offered;

"Would you still care for lunch and some conversation?"

Sighing dejectedly, Dara simply nodded as they stepped into the elevator. Once they reached the cafeteria and had found a remote table so that they could have privacy for their conversation, Matt couldn't help but ask, the concern evident in his voice;

"Okay, so there's nobody here now, so what's going on?"

Dara couldn't help but sigh heavily as she admitted;

"Matt, I'm not sure that I can work for that man. That little announcement that he made upstairs, he didn't consult me about the project, he just up and announced his involvement in it."

Searching her face, Matt shook his head;

"Come on, give, there's something else that's bothering you about him, isn't there?"

Glancing around to make certain that there was no one else witness to their conversation, she began, haltingly;

"Matt, he makes me very uncomfortable. I thought that it was just my imagination, but he looks at me like; oh I don't know how to describe it."

Trying to be helpful, Matt offered;

"The last meal looks to a condemned man?"

Nodding, Dara agreed;

"Yes, unfortunately. That's exactly how, or at least how I think. And earlier, when he met Lucas, Matt, I swear that he as much as issued a challenge that he would have me in bed before Lucas could blink."

Matt couldn't help but feel sympathy for her. It definitely wasn't hard to see that the man had an attraction to Dara. Placing his hand over hers in a comforting manner, he admitted;

"If it would make you feel better, I don't think that it's your imagination; I think that he's definitely attracted to you."

Looking at him helplessly, Dara pleaded;

"Alright, so what do I do? I can't give up my project or my job, and if Lucas realizes just how far this man might push things, he'll force me to do both and I couldn't blame him for it."

Pondering her dilemma, Matt ventured;

"Well, there are other members of the committee; me, Selena, Loris and others. So having one of us around when he is, it wouldn't be a totally suspicious act, not to mention that you may get lucky and Selena might find him attractive and take him off of your hands."

Her face taking on a hopeful look, Dara prayed;

"I hope that you're right."

Dara returned to her office, feeling somewhat better, after having talked out her problem with Matt. Although she did feel better about the situation now that she knew she had someone on her side as well as a plan as to how to deal with Landrum, she still made sure to avoid him as she returned to her office. After checking through her mail as well as her appointment book and realizing that she was free for the rest of the day, Dara glanced at the clock and, remembering that it was Selena's planning period, called to set up a time after school to meet with the caterer to make the final arrangements for the gala to raise funds for the program. An hour later found her and Selena in front of the caterer that Selena had suggested. When she joined her on the sidewalk, Dara couldn't help but notice how Selena was shaking her head as she looked at her car. Her level of agitation already heightened, thanks to her day of dealing with Landrum, Dara demanded sharply;

"Alright, Selena; what?"

Shrugging, Selena simply reminded her;

"Nothing, I just thought that you were going to buy a new car, that's all."

Shaking her head, Dara admitted;

"Lucas and I haven't decided on what we want to get yet. Besides, I like my car."

Selena simply shook her head;

"It's not a very practical family car though."

Although her words were just conversational, Dara turned to her caustically. After the day she had just had, the comment was enough to push Dara's last button;

"Selena, can we just please drop the subject of my car; I'm not in the mood at the moment. Let's just attend to the menu and finish the plans for this damned gala."

Taken aback slightly by the tone in her voice, Selena looked at her as she placed her hand on Dara's arm as she offered softly;

"I'm sorry if I offended you; what's the matter?"

Despite her jealousy over Dara having married Lucas Buck and the way that she had tried to bait her before their marriage, Selena had come to value Dara as a good friend and given that she had a shocking lack of friends, she didn't want to lose her friendship. Dara couldn't help but feel guilty as she offered a sad smile;

"I'm sorry, Selena. I really didn't mean to snap at you, it's just that I've had a really bad day and I just want to go home and see my children. I apologize, let's just get this final detail handled and then all we have to concern ourselves with is shopping for our dresses."

Taking her statement at face value, Selena sympathized;

"Don't worry about it, I've had those kinds of days too. You're right, let's get this over with."

Half an hour later, after completing the last of the arrangements, which the caterer agreed to handle while staying within their budget, thanks to Selena and a great deal of flirting, they emerged from the small shop, relieved. Dara checked her watch as Selena suggested, hopefully;

"How about some coffee and some girl talk?"

Looking at her apologetically, Dara explained;

"I'd really like to, Selena. But, I really want to get home and see my babies before they go to bed."

Selena could understand her devotion to her children, but she couldn't help looking disappointed as she offered;

"I guess some other time then?"

A thought occurring to her, Dara brightened as she suggested;

"I'll tell you what, how about a girl's day? Me, you and Loris; we'll go to Charleston to the big stores and shop for our ball gowns. What do you think?"

Brightening at the prospect, Selena nodded;

"I like it! Since the gala is in two weeks, how about this weekend?"

Smiling at the idea, Dara nodded;

"Perfect, Lucas can take the kids. I haven't had a day to myself in a long time, I'm sure that he won't mind."

With their plans settled, they each got into their cars and left, failing to notice the figure that stepped out of the alleyway, having eavesdropped on their conversation. Landrum chuckled in amusement at the idea of having the upper hand as he speculated aloud;

"Charleston huh? Well, what a coincidence since I happen to be in need of a new tuxedo for the gala."

Smiling at his own cleverness, he walked around the corner to where he had parked his own car. He couldn't help but congratulate himself at the fact that he had made certain that he would know every move that Dara Buck would be making for the next three months, however, he didn't think that he would need that much time, but just in case it was much better to be safe than sorry.


	27. Chapter 27

**CHAPTER 27**

Walking through the front door, Dara found herself amused to find Caleb chasing after Alex, who was crawling at break neck speed down the hallway. She couldn't help but laugh as she asked;

"What's the matter, Caleb; are they too fast for you?"

Glancing up to shake his head, he observed;

"They sure move fast for little babies."

Laughing at his observation, Dara heard her husband calling to her from upstairs as she dropped her purse and briefcase on the foyer table before making her way up the stairs to find him on his knees, just outside of the nursery, installing a safety gate. After she had greeted him with a kiss, Lucas found himself furrowing his brow as he glanced up into her tired face and noticed the look in her eyes, before demanding;

"What's the matter?"

Shaking her head, she offered him a smile as she hoped to allay his suspicions;

"Nothing, darling, I'm just tired. Selena and I just finished haggling with the caterer over the gala; thank God! That's the last thing to deal with, everything else has been settled, all except for buying a dress."

Glancing at her skeptically, Lucas felt certain that there was more to it than what she was divulging, but deciding to let it go, he simply took her at her word; standing he enfolded her in his embrace before kissing her deeply. Pulling back he pointed to the stairs as he explained;

"I thought that since they've started crawling that it would be a good idea to install the railing and gates. I'll put one at the bottom of the steps too."

Frustrated with herself, Dara sighed; she had meant to stop and purchase the same thing earlier, but with everything with Landrum and the gala, it had slipped her mind. Shaking her head she confessed;

"I was thinking about that earlier today, I just forgot to stop. I guess that it's a good thing that you're the better parent, isn't it?"

Lucas looked at her strangely, wondering what had put such a thought in her mind to cause her to make such a statement. Placing his finger under her chin to bring her eyes up to meet his searching gaze, he demanded;

"Now, just where did that thought come from? I happen to think that you're a damned good mother, as well as a terrific wife, not to mention one hell of a lover."

Blushing in pleasure at his compliment, especially his last statement, she offered him a tired smile as she replied;

"My pride and vanity thank you; I'm just tired, that's all. And on that note, what are you doing, Saturday?"

Considering a moment, Lucas shook his head;

"Nothing that I know of, why?"

Offering a hopeful look, Dara asked;

"Would you object if Selena, Loris and I went to Charleston to shop for our dresses?"

Without pause, Lucas shook his head;

"No, actually, I think that you need some time away from the me and the kids. You haven't had any time to yourself since way before your mother died. I think that a girl's day is just what you need. By the way, Selena is behaving herself, isn't she?"

Nodding she ventured;

"You know, it's funny, but since she gave up the grudge over our marriage, she's actually turned out to be a fairly good friend."

Searching her face for her reaction, Lucas asked;

"And since we're on that line of topic; did you have any more problems out of Landrum today?"

One thing that Dara had quickly learned after getting involved with Lucas was that he was able to read her like a book and she was certain that if he knew about the latest chapter dealing with today's board meeting, he would be none too happy. Deciding that, since she had made her position clear on the matter and had a plan formulated with Matt, there was no reason to worry her husband, she simply shook her head before offering a simple;

"No, no other problems."

Although he knew that she wouldn't tell him for fear of worrying him, Lucas decided to simply take her at her word as he placed a kiss on the top of her head before turning her towards their bedroom and giving her a slight push in that direction as he suggested;

"Why don't you go and take a long bubble bath, Caleb and I can take care of the kids."

With that he gently slapped the flat of his hand across her backside as he offered her a mischievous smile. Turning and catching the mischievousness in his eyes, Dara lifted her head as she gave him a seductive smile of her own before warning;

"Careful, don't promise unless you're going willing to deliver."

With that she disappeared into her bedroom and closed the door.

Sitting back in the over sized bathtub, Dara allowed the heat and steam of the water to evaporate her bad mood. She wasn't sure, but she guessed that she must have been in the tub for about an hour when she heard the bedroom door open and close. Glancing to the doorway of the bathroom, she found her husband standing there, studying her. Offering him a sweet smile, she greeted;

"Hi."

Glad to see her mood improved, Lucas sat on the stool next to the tub before holding his hand out expectantly for the soap and sponge as he offered;

"Want me to scrub your back?"

Nodding eagerly, she relinquished both into his possession as she hugged her knees to her chest to expose more of her back. Closing her eyes at the unexpected luxury, she relaxed considerably before asking;

"Where are the kids?"

Dipping his hands into the water to rinse the soap away before drying his hands, Lucas replied;

"Well, Caleb has decided that he wants to spend the night. He's downstairs watching TV until bedtime. I've already fed and changed the twins and they're fast asleep. Mrs. Carlton made some supper so if you'd like, I'll fix you a tray."

Sighing in contentment as she leaned her head back against the rim of the tub, Dara shook her head;

"No, I'm not really hungry; I just want to go to bed and get some rest."

Realizing just how truly tired she looked, Lucas ventured;

"Darlin, why don't you take the day off tomorrow and rest a little. Besides, don't the kids have a check up with Crower tomorrow?"

Giving his suggestion a moment of consideration, Dara realized that she didn't have any pressing engagement or counseling session schedule, and the last detail for the gala had been dealt with. Finally, she nodded as she stipulated;

"Under one condition; we keep Caleb out of school tomorrow and after the twins' check up we go do something as a family."

Smiling at the idea, Lucas offered;

"Alright, you're on, as a matter of fact, Caleb has been bugging me about a family picture, so we'll go do that and go from there."

After Matt's stamp of approval that both children were thriving, Lucas and Dara paid a visit to the same photographer who had taken their wedding photos to fulfill Caleb's request. Once that was accomplished, Lucas asked;

"Okay so where to now?"

Turning in her seat, Dara glanced at Caleb to ask;

"It's your day off too, so what would you like to do?"

She could tell that he was giving serious consideration to her question but she wasn't prepared for his answer as his face brightened before exclaiming;

"Gator World!"

The disbelief obvious on her face, Dara asked;

"Are you sure?"

Nodding, Caleb explained;

"Me and Lucas went there one time, but I'll like to see it again; can we?"

Lucas couldn't help but glance at his wife, curious for her reaction. He knew that if there was one thing that Dara hated, aside from spiders, was most definitely reptiles, especially snakes. He wasn't surprised when she asked in trepidation;

"They are behind fences and glass, right?"

Caleb couldn't hide his amusement at her reaction as he laughed;

"Shoot, they won't get you, will they Lucas?"

Taking her hand as he shook her head, Lucas offered;

"Don't worry, darlin, I'll protect you."

Turning to address the twins, Dara asked;

"Well, how about it you two, are you up for Gator World?"

She couldn't help but find amusement in their reactions as Riesa raised her eyebrow in imitation of her father, while Alex kicked his legs and smiled at his mother. Glancing back to her husband, she shook her head;

"I guess that Riesa and I are out numbered, Alex seems all for it, go figure. Go ahead, let's go."

Half way to their destination, Lucas suggested;

"How about something to eat before we get there?"

Casting a sideways glance to his wife, he speculated;

"Something tells me that you won't have much of an appetite once we're there and there's no telling long we'll stay."

Caleb noticed as they pulled into the parking lot that it was the Dixie Diner, remembering the last time he and Lucas had gone to the park, he asked;

"Isn't this where we ate last time?"

Nodding, Lucas confirmed;

"Yep, it sure is."

Once the stroller had been removed from the trunk, Lucas helped Dara make sure the twins were secured into it before she motioned Caleb, who was obviously excited, to offer;

You better go on ahead and keep up with Caleb, I can manage."

With that, Lucas hurried to catch up to Caleb, leaving Dara to proceed at a slower pace.

Nora, the waitress, couldn't help but smile to herself as she spotted Lucas Buck. It had been a long time since she had seen him around and even longer since she had enjoyed any male attention, although she had never found him to be receptive to any of her previous overtures, she couldn't bring herself to give up in the belief that her persistence would someday be rewarded. Despite the fact that she knew of his marriage, as well as the birth of his son and daughter, she felt that there was simply no way that a man like Lucas Buck could be satisfied with the attentions of just one woman.

Checking her reflection as she applied a fresh coat of blood red lipstick to her lips as well as ensuring that the carefully arranged tresses of her bleach blond hair were in still in place, Nora sauntered over to the table to offer Caleb a smile before turning her attention as well as a more inviting smile in Lucas' direction as she drawled;

"Why, Sheriff, it's been a good while since the last time that we've seen you around here."

Her eyes sliding in Caleb's direction to ensure that she was reading his menu, she turned her gaze back towards Lucas as she coyly suggested;

"I guess that you've been taking all of your 'meals' from somewhere else."

Before he could even have time to fathom how to deal with the woman's attempted pass, Lucas found himself shocked as her query was answered;

"No, actually, he has been taking all, and I do mean, ALL of his 'meals' at home, with me."

When Nora turned in shock, Lucas wasn't surprised, as he glanced over Caleb's head, to find his wife standing there; her eyes flashing fire as her face was a mask of challenge as she stared the woman down. Realizing what might well be brewing, he motioned for Caleb to excuse himself with the excuse;

"Son, I think you should go wash your hands before we order, don't you?"

Once Caleb had followed his suggestion, Lucas simply sat back, knowing when it was best to keep his mouth shut. Once Caleb was out of earshot, Nora's eyes roamed up and down the woman, as if she was sizing up her competition, before demanding in an arrogant tone;

"And just who do you think you are, honey?"

Her eyes widening in disbelief, Dara lifted her head as she informed the woman in a carefully measured tone;

"I happened to be MRS. Lucas Buck. HONEY."

Still unwilling to give up, what she considered, an opportunity, Nora crossed her arms over her ample chest as she challenged;

"So?"

Dara glanced around the woman to her husband, who shook his head before shrugging, silently conveying the message that he was more than aware of the fact that the woman had been given more than a fair chance to back down, so whatever happened at this point, she had asked for. Turning her gaze back to Nora, the corner of Dara's lips curled in a serene smile as she began explaining, in a carefully measured tone of voice as she made a point of noting the woman's name tag;

"You know, Nora, one of the aspects of having been raised in the rural South, especially around rivers, creeks, bayous and swamps, that people don't seem to realize when they first look at me, is that I know just EXACTLY what to do with a body, if the need were ever to arise."

Nora's eyes widened in fear at the realization that the look on this woman's face confirmed that she wasn't making a threat she was making a promise. Swallowing hard, she decided that discretion was definitely the better part of valor as she sidled past Dara before offering in a timid voice;

"My mistake, I'll get your waitress for you."

Nodding, Dara offered in a voice dripping with sweetness;

"Thank you."

With that she pushed the stroller up closer to the table as she slid into the booth across from her husband before demanding;

"Well, what's your excuse?"

Lucas offered her a look of innocence as she defended;

"She came on to me, not the other way around. And since you did such a wonderful job of handling it, I thought that it was better to just keep my mouth shut."

Despite her best efforts to the contrary, Dara couldn't help but shake her head in amusement as she laughingly threatened;

"So help me, if you so much as grin, I'm going to hurt you."

Sliding his hand across the table, Lucas took her hand in his as he vowed;

"You know that you're the only woman that I want."

Blushing at his admission, Dara nodded as she assured him;

"I know, but I didn't care for her innuendos, especially in front of Caleb."

As if summoned, at the mention of his name, Caleb appeared. Glancing around in curiosity, he asked;

"Where's the waitress?"

Reading her menu, her face remaining impassive, Dara offered;

"She had an emergency, a matter of life and death, I believe."

Lucas couldn't help but be amazed by her completely calm composure as she understated the 'emergency' aspect of Nora's departure

Pulling into the parking lot of Gator World, Caleb began pointing excitedly;

"Look, no lines, there ain't too many people here either. Shoot, we almost got the whole place to ourselves."

Unable to prevent herself from shaking her head at his enthusiasm, Dara considered;

"I guess that's the beauty of taking a day off during the week."

Leaning over to give her a quick kiss before opening the car door, Lucas nodded;

"You do come up with some ideas, Mrs. Buck."

Realizing that the sooner his brother and sister were settled in their stroller, the sooner they could enter the park, Caleb hurried to open his door so he could scramble out of the car to get the stroller from the trunk. Trying to hurry things along, he took Riesa, while Dara grabbed Alex, from the car seat to secure them in the stroller. Seeing the boy's barely contained enthusiasm, Lucas allowed him to run ahead as he placed his arm around his wife's shoulders and offered;

"I know that you hate reptiles; why don't you take the care and go shopping for a while? You can just come back and pick us up."

Shaking her head in determination, Dara reminded him;

"No. Besides, we said that this was a family day and this is what Caleb wanted to do."

Shrugging, she ventured;

"I'll manage just as long as they are all behind a barrier."

Pulling her closer, Lucas couldn't help but smile at her lovingly as he asked;

"Do you have any idea as to just how much I love you?"

Stretching to place a kiss on her cheek, Dara nodded;

"I'm beginning to comprehend it. Now, go keep up with our son."

Lucas couldn't help but marvel at just how much patience she had with Caleb as they made their way through the park. Although he knew that, had she been the one to choose the activity, this would have been the last place in the world that she would have suggested, she still found interest in everything that seemed to spark Caleb's excitement. He couldn't help but realized that, given the fact they knew how she felt about reptiles, she had readily agreed to the outing to please Caleb had raised her in the esteem of both father and son. Not to mention that he came to understand that his wife had given the boy something more precious than any expensive bike or toy; she gave him her time, attention and love, something Caleb desperately needed.

Caleb hurried to the scenic bridge that crossed over the water habitat for the alligators to point over the railing excitedly;

"Look, they're out on the grass."

Furrowing his brow in contemplation, Caleb turned to his parents before wondering aloud;

"I wonder why they're out of the water?"

Motioning to the large reptiles, Dara offered;

"They're sunning themselves, Caleb. The water is still kind of cold I guess, so they're trying to warm themselves up a little in the sunlight."

Tilting his head in consideration of his step mother's knowledge, he demanded;

"How do you know that?"

Offering a slight smile of amusement, Dara reminded him;

"Caleb, you forget, I grew up on southern Alabama near the river delta. I've seen more than my fair share of these guys. When it was this time of year, before the water began warming up, we would have to be careful if we played near the creeks because the last thing you wanted to do was to stumble upon a gator sunning itself."

His eyes widening in awe, Caleb asked, the awe evident in his voice;

"You mean you actually saw a gator out in the wild before?"

Dara couldn't help but find amusement at the fact that Caleb was so enthralled by a childhood memory that, luckily, didn't end in disaster as she simply nodded. She wasn't shocked when the boy demanded;

"Well what happened?"

Noticing that the twins had drifted off to sleep, she lowered their seat so that they could recline in a more comfortable position as she placed a blanket over them before beginning her story;

"Well, when I was a couple of years younger than you are now, my cousin and I decided to walk down to the creek bank. Believe it or not that was one of my favorite places, I loved to just watch the water roll by; anyway, the spot that we always went to had a small shack there and some trees had been cut down so there were logs lying all over the bank. When we got closer to the bank, one of the logs moved and before we knew it, what we thought was a log, was chasing us."

Gaping at her in suspense, Caleb asked in a hushed tone;

"Then what happened?"

Having found himself shocked by her story as well, Lucas confessed;

"I'm curious about that myself, darlin."

Sighing, Dara continued;

"Well, the old shack was being renovated to make a type of fishing cabin and there was a ladder leaning against it so we climbed it as fast as we could and made it up to the roof. Which, I might add, was doing an impressive impression of a slice of Swiss cheese, but, luckily the cross beams were wide."

His eyes wide in wonder, Caleb asked;

"But what happened then, I mean how did you get down? Did you just wait for the gator to leave?"

Shaking her head as she shivered at the memory, Dara explained;

"Unfortunately, we had evidently found the most stubborn alligator in southern Alabama, Caleb. And climbing down wasn't an option, he was close on our heels and he got angry that we made it up the ladder and started thrashing his tail, well, when he did he knocked the ladder on the ground so we were stuck on that roof. When it got dark, Daddy and Uncle Jack came looking for us, luckily, Daddy carried a rifle in his truck so when he saw us on the roof, believe it or not, the gator was still on the ground where the ladder had been, he used his rifle and killed the gator."

Whistling low, Lucas considered;

"No wonder you don't like reptiles, darlin."

Motioning past the bridge, Dara changed the subject as she suggested;

"It was a long time ago and, obviously, I survived it. So let's see what else there is to see, how about it?"

With that she took charge of the stroller and led the way, leaving her husband and step son shocked as they glanced at each other before Caleb speculated;

"She sure is a lot tougher than I thought she was."

Nodding, Lucas placed his hand on the boy's shoulder before venturing;

"That she is, Caleb, but that's part of why I love her so much; she's a determined survivor."

With that they hurried to catch up to her. After they had spent, at least, another six hours in the park Caleb finally expressed his desire to leave. When he spotted the gift shop, the hopeful glance that he had offered his father was quickly replaced with a thankful grin as Lucas gave him free rein. To the boy's credit he made sure that, not only, had he found souvenirs for himself but he made sure that his siblings and stepmother had something to remember the day as well. Lucas couldn't help but shake his head in amusement as he pulled a credit card from his wallet to hand to the boy. Noticing the worried look on her face, he wasn't surprised when she question in uncertainty;

"Was that a good idea?"

Shrugging, Lucas ventured;

"What, giving him the credit card? I don't see why not, we don't really make a habit of spoiling him that often."

Unable to deny his statement, she finally nodded;

"I guess you're right. It's just that I know how things were with Seth and I don't want our children turning out like him."

Shaking his head vehemently as his eyes darkened at the mention of her brother, Lucas vowed;

"THAT will never happen; I promise you that."

Once everything had been loaded up in the car and they were headed back in the direction of Trinity, the twins and Caleb fell sound asleep leaving Dara and Lucas to enjoy the peace and quiet of the ride home. Releasing her seat belt, Dara slid across the seat as Lucas lifted his arm to allow her to lay her head against his chest. Glancing down at her, he asked;

"Tired?"

Stifling a yawn, Dara admitted;

"Just a little."

Glancing over her shoulder to the back seat, she reminded him;

"You know that we still have to feed these guys, right?"

Offering an amused chuckle, Lucas praised;

"Thank God for pizza delivery."

Content to just enjoy each other's company, the remained silent for the rest of the trip home.

Although Lucas and Dara were content, at that moment, Devon Landrum was anything but content. His agitation had grown by leaps and bounds earlier in the day as he failed to locate Dara's whereabouts that morning. When he found her out of her office and after having made a few subtle inquiries, meeting with no success, into her whereabouts, he found his ire rising. Finally, spotting Matt Crower and knowing of their close friendship, he engaged the man in casual conversation about the program before asking had the physician seen Dara. Studying his patient's chart, Matt simply nodded;

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, she and her husband just left earlier. Today was their appointment for the twins checkup."

His attention focused on the chart, Matt failed to notice the flash of anger that passed through the other man's eyes, especially since he carefully masked his irritation as he offered conversationally;

"I wasn't aware that Mrs. Buck had children."

Glancing up form the chart, Matt elaborated;

"Yes; as a matter of fact, she has a set of twins, a boy and a girl, who are around fifteen weeks old and a step son, Caleb is twelve."

Offering the man a brusque thanks as he offered the excuse of needing to make and important phone call before hurrying in the direction of his office; stunned. Although he knew that she was married, he had not considered the idea that she would be a mother as well. Locking himself behind the sanctuary of his office door, before taking his place behind his desk, Landrum voiced his opinion aloud;

"It doesn't matter and he children don't matter. She doesn't need them."

Opening his desk drawer, he removed the copy he had made of Dara's appointment book to look at the page for the day's date. Seeing that there were no appointments or reminders for the day, he quickly regrouped his plan as he rationalized;

"Alright, so now I know that when her schedule is clear she might take a personal day. That's no big deal, it just means a little more checking on her whereabouts, that's all."

Satisfied that he was once more in control of the situation, he realized the time and made his decision to call it a day before leaving his office to head for his home.

After a hectic week of last minute details for the upcoming gala, as well as avoiding Landrum as much as possible, Saturday arrived to find Dara awaking, eager to spend the day with her friends in Charleston. Hearing her as she came bounding down the staircase, Lucas glanced up from his paper and cup of coffee to stare at her in wonder. She had pulled her hair back in a ponytail and was wearing a blue cotton blouse with a pair of blue jeans, reminding him of a teenager as opposed to a woman old enough to be the mother of his children. He couldn't help but chuckle at her good mood as she passed by the table, on her way to get some juice, to drop a kiss on his mouth as she greeted cheerfully;

"Good morning, my love."

Chuckling at her good mood, Lucas laid his paper on the table before informing her;

"I took the baby seats out of the back of the car for you."

Dara couldn't help but sit her glass down as she thought about his statement before speculating;

"I guess that I'm pretty much leaving you stranded today; aren't I?"

Keeping a straight face, Lucas rose from his chair and, grabbing her hand, led her out the kitchen door to the backyard as he waited for her reaction. Dara's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at, not just a brand new car, but the care that had been her pick out of the ones they had looked at. Turning in shock, she demanded;

"How did you do this and can we afford it?"

Placing his arms around her waist, he couldn't help but laugh at her concern over their finances. Although she was, by no means, stingy, she was very economically minded. She never indulged or overspent on herself, although she had no qualms when it came to spending money for her loved ones. The truth was, that if she ever realized just exactly how financially secure they truly were, she would be dumbstruck. It wasn't that he kept the information from her, especially given that she handled the household accounts and she had full access to all of their assets; however, she readily admitted that she preferred for Lucas to deal with the more complex aspect of their finances such as investments. Shaking his head now at her concern, Lucas explained;

"I had Ben drop it off after his shift last night; I wanted to surprise you and yes, we can most definitely afford it."

Although he could feel her searching his face for assurance of his statement, he felt rewarded when she offered him a smile before throwing her arms around his neck before kissing him soundly. Glancing at her watch, her eyes widened as she exclaimed;

"Oh, I've got to go, I'm going to be late."

Hurrying to her car she wasn't surprised as Lucas trailed behind her, checking off a list of what he considered necessary items for her trip;

"Have you got the money that I gave you last night?"

Nodding patiently, Dara replied;

"Yes, as well as my credit cards and my checkbook. We'll be home later on this evening."

Shrugging his shoulders, Lucas advised;

"Take your time and have some fun, just be careful; Charleston is a big city. While you're at it, indulge yourself a little, I promise you, we can afford it."

With that he pushed her door closed before leaning in the window to receive a kiss before watching her pull away.

Once Dara, Loris and Selena arrived in Charleston, Dara followed Selena's directions to the large mall that she assured them was the perfect place to begin their search, given the number of shops the complex held. As they made their way into the main part of the mall, Dara and Loris found themselves, both, amazed and impressed by the size of the shopping complex, having never been in one as large before. Selena, on the other hand, had been numerous times and had a very blasé attitude.

Setting about their task, Selena motioned towards a store that she felt would be the best place to begin their search. They were about move to the next store when Dara happened to glance at a rack and, realizing they had not searched through it, she made her way towards the rack and began sorting through the items. Stopping when she came to one dress in particular; it was a coppery gold color with a tea length full, flowing skirt, the bodice had a v-neckline with sleeves that were truly amazing, they resembled butterfly wings that fell to just below the elbows. Motioning excitedly to Loris, she ventured;

"I've found the perfect dress for you, this is GORGEOUS and with your complexion it will be amazing."

Glancing at the dress in uncertainty, Loris gave her friend a look that conveyed her skepticism as she wondered aloud;

"Dara, I'm not sure, I've never really worn anything this fancy."

Huffing in frustration, Dara demanded;

"Well, what's the harm in trying it on? If you don't like it, then we'll find you something else; fair enough?"

Although she felt reluctant at first, Loris agreed to try on the gown; however, when she emerged from the dressing room to inspect her image in the full length tri fold mirror, her eyes widened in amazement at her image. Seeing the look on her friend's face, Dara couldn't refrain from offering her friend a look of self satisfaction at the fact that she had been right about the gown. Nodding, he issued;

"See, I told you it would be perfect, you look amazing in it. Loris you HAVE to get it; I swear if you don't I'm going to buy it and it can be your early birthday present."

Loris couldn't deny that she was impressed with the gown, but dressing formally wasn't something that she had very much experience with. Turning to Selena, she queried;

"Selena, what do you think?"

Stepping up behind her, Selena took her hair and held it up before nodding;

"I think that, with your hair up and a pair of gold heels, you will look fantastic. This dress was meant for you, Loris."

Studying her reflection, Loris finally nodded before turning and smiling broadly;

"You're right, I love it! I'll take it!."

After having left the store, Selena led them to another store that she was certain would have just the right dress for her. Sorting through the racks, she quickly grabbed one before stating;

"I'll be back in a minute."

Dara and Loris had decided that, while they waited for her, they would look around the store to see if there might be a dress for Dara as well. Shaking their heads at each other, Loris ventured softly;

"Somehow, I don't think that there is anything here that's quite your style."

Glancing worriedly towards her, Dara couldn't help but wonder;

"I know, but it makes me wonder what on earth Selena found."

Before they could speculate any further, Selena came from the dressing rooms to get their opinions as she asked;

"So; what do you think?"

Turning to each other in silent inquiry as to what was the most tactful way to handle the situation, Loris simply shrugged, dropping the issue in Dara's lap. Eyeing the dress critically, Dara couldn't help but wonder at her friend's choice. It was ruby red, covered in sequins and beads, the collar fastened around the neck like a choker, yet left the back exposed, as well as being sleeveless with a slit that ran from the ankle length hem to, almost, the upper thigh. Clearing her throat, Dara began tactfully;

"Selena, it's not that you don't look good in the dress, but, given that this is a benefit for a children's program and the fact that you're a teacher as well as on the board for the program, well.."

Glancing to Loris, who nodded her head to encourage her, she held her hands, palm up, in a questioning gesture as she asked softly;

"Sweetie, is THIS really the image that you want to convey? I mean..."

Stepping closer to her, Dara placed her hand on her shoulder as she looked her in the eyes to offer encouragingly;

"Selena, you're a beautiful person, inside and out, you just need to let people see that. You don't need to put yourself out there like this, I promise."

Although she thought, by the look in her eyes, that Selena would be truly angry, Dara found herself shocked when the other woman placed her arms around her to embrace her as she offered softly;

"Thank you, you could have just let me buy this dress and torn me to shreds behind my back, but your a true friend who tells me the truth."

With that she returned to the dressing room and, five minutes later, joined them as she tossed the dress on the sales counter before shaking her head at that clerk;

"That's just not my style, thanks."

With that she led the way out of the store, leaving a bewildered Dara and Loris to stare after her, their eyes wide as Loris offered;

"You are definitely some kind of miracle worker, you know that, right?"

Rolling her eyes, Dara shook her head as she denied;

"Hardly, let's go before we lose her,"

Half an hour later they were seated at the food court, having elected to find Dara's gown after they enjoyed their lunch, having already found Selena's dress. Dara had been shocked at just how excellent her taste was when she emerged from the dressing room wearing a beautiful burgundy dress that had a full, knee length skirt that reminded Dara of the full poodle skirts from the fifties with an over skirt in the same color of chiffon. The bodice had a square neckline with sleeves that looked as if it was a cape that wrapped around the upper part of her arms, leaving the top of her shoulders bare. Glancing in the mirror, Selena turned, a hopeful smile on her face as she asked;

"Well? What do you think?"

Both wearing matching smile of approval as well as nodding their heads, Loris stated;

"Perfect! You look great."

Turning back, she nodded;

"I'll take it!"

Once her purchase was completed, Selena suggested;

"Why don't we get some lunch and then we'll find your gown, Dara?"

Feeling her stomach rumbling, Dara nodded;

"That would be great, I'm starving."

Once they had gotten their orders and settled at a table, they took their time, enjoying their meal as well as each other's company, especially when Selena began telling them about one of her student's exploits. Dara had been so engaged in the story as well as laughing at the humor of it when she heard an all too familiar voice;

"Well, if this isn't a surprise. Imagine, running into you all the way in Charleston; what brings you this far, Mrs. Buck?"

Dara couldn't contain her sigh of aggravation, however, for the sake of appearances, she maintained her calm demeanor before challenging;

"I might ask you the same question, Dr. Landrum."

Exhibiting the bag that he was carrying, as if to solidify his reasoning, he shrugged;

"I was in need of a new tuxedo for the gala next week and I simply didn't find anything in Trinity. And you?"

Attempting to attract the handsome stranger's attention, Selena spoke up;

"We're here to buy our gowns for the gala."

Noticing how Selena was eyeing Landrum, Dara found herself sincerely hopeful that they would find a mutual attraction, which would help to throw him off of her trail. However, Landrum didn't seem so inclined as he focused his attention on Dara to ask;

"And, did you find your gown yet, Mrs. Buck?"

Shaking her head, Dara offered politely;

"No, not yet. But I'm sure I will after we eat though."

Realizing that it would be suspicious if he were to remain any longer, Landrum nodded;

"Well, whatever you wear, I'm sure that you'll be beautiful, as always. Good day, ladies."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving them free to enjoy their meal. Unable to keep from noticing her sigh of relief as the man departed, both women stared at her in concern as Selena observed;

"I take it that you're not thrilled with his interest in you?"

Shaking her head, her eyes reflecting her frustration at the man's intrusion, Dara simply stated;

"No offense, Selena, but I don't want to discuss it. And please, as a favor to me, not one word about him being here today to Lucas."

Selena and Loris exchanged looks of concern before Loris quietly inquired;

"Did you know that he would be here today?"

Shaking her head , Dara exclaimed in frustration;

"No, that's the problem. I never know where he'll be."

Turning a pleading look to them, Dara begged;

"Please, let's just drop the subject and finish our lunch and shopping. I'm determined to have some fun today."

After they had finished their meal, they made their way through the rest of the mall. Dara was about to give up, certain that it simply wasn't meant for her to find a gown, when Loris noticed a slash of teal peeking from between two other dresses. Curious, she pulled the gown from the rack and couldn't help but exclaim;

"WOW!"

The dress wasn't simply teal, it was the color of a clear ocean with a full tea length skirt that was covered in an overlap of the same colored chiffon. The bodice was a sweetheart neckline with sleeves of the same chiffon as the over skirt that resembled butterfly wings in shape, the dress was made of satin with tiny crystals sewn throughout the sleeves and over skirt. Hurrying across the store to Dara she held the dress up and found that her own opinion was right on key when Selena's eyes widened before she nodded eagerly;

"This is the perfect dress for you, go try it on."

Dara studied the dress momentarily before shrugging as she took it from Loris and made her way to the dressing rooms. Emerging five minutes later, she asked;

"Well? Do you think this will be okay?"

Turning, both women stared in amazement as Selena offered;

"I think 'okay' is vastly understating it, honey. Take a look."

Stepping up to the mirror, Dara couldn't help but be shocked at her reflection; the dress was a perfect fit as well as bringing out the color of her eyes and hair. Turning she nodded as she sighed;

"Thank heaven, I was beginning to think I'd have to resort to wearing my wedding dress."

Both women laughed as she returned to the dressing room. Once she had purchased the dress, they made their way to the shoe store that Selena was certain would have whatever they needed to accessorize their gowns. Having forgotten about her earlier confrontation with Landrum, Dara found herself laughing and enjoying the remainder of their shopping trip; none of them noticed that they were being followed at a discreet distance by the very man Dara wanted to avoid.


	28. Chapter 28

**CHAPTER 28**

The following Saturday found Dara in high spirits over her anticipation of the gala and her hope for what its financial success would mean for her program; even Lucas' aggravation at wearing a formal tuxedo didn't seem to dampen her attitude in the least. He had tried arguing that, since his usual attire at such functions was usually sufficient, he couldn't understand the need to change his habit now. However, he also knew that, when his wife gazed into his eyes lovingly before asking in a sweet voice;

"Please, for me."

There was no way that he could say no. Making his way downstairs to wait for Dara to finish dressing, he ventured to the living room where Caleb was watching a movie, having all but moved in with them. Hearing his father's approach, he turned from the TV to take in his father's appearance before nodding;

"You look good."

Tugging at the tie that he found bothersome, Lucas grumbled;

"Glad you think so, if I could just get rid of this damn tie, I'd feel better."

He was in the process of turning to give his father his full attention as he began suggesting;

"Well, why don't you just..."

The rest of his statement was cut short as he sat staring with his eyes wide. Curious as to what had captured his son's attention so raptly, Lucas turned and immediately understood his son's reaction as he whistled low as his wife asked in a timid voice, her uncertainty obvious on her face;

"Do I look alright?"

Caleb being the first to recover nodded;

"You're always pretty but you look as pretty as you did when you got married, maybe even better."

Offering her step son a heartfelt smile, Dara responded;

"Thank you, sweetie."

Turning to face her husband, she inquired;

"Do you think that I look alright?"

Lucas couldn't help but stare as he took in her appearance in detail. She had arranged her hair much like she had worn it on their wedding day; pulled up with the long curls falling in a cascade down her back. The dress that she wore was made of satin and chiffon, the color bringing out the color of the sea in her eyes, especially given that the tiny silver beads and crystals that had been sewn into the chiffon that made up the skirt and sleeves matched the sparkle in her eyes. Recovering, Lucas responded;

"You look absolutely beautiful, darlin."

Smiling as she approached him and reached up to straighten his tie, she nodded;

"So do you."

Deciding that now was the perfect time for what he had in mind, Lucas reached into his pocket and withdrew a flat jeweler's box to open it for her. Dara's eyes widened as she looked into her husband's eyes before exclaiming;

"You shouldn't have done this, it's too much. You know that you're spoiling me, don't you?"

Taking the necklace, a tear drop shaped blue topaz surrounded by small diamonds, from the box he motioned for her to turn around and lift her hair as he fastened the piece around her slender neck before smiling, pleased with his efforts as he pointed out;

"See, they match your mother's earrings perfectly. Just consider it an early mother's day present and let me enjoy spoiling you, okay?"

Turning to place her hand on his cheek Dara nodded;

"Alright, besides arguing with you is as useless as using a bucket filled with holes to bail out a leaky boat."

Laughing at her observation, he took the silver lace shawl that she handed him and draped it over her shoulders as he announced to Mrs. Carlton;

"We're leaving Mrs. Carlton."

With that, he followed her out the door.

Once they arrived, Dara found herself quickly whisked away to join the rest of the committee to meet with the accountant who had volunteered her time to help work on the financial related aspects of the project. After she had assured them that they would receive a report as soon as possible, the group disbanded to join their own groups. Dara and Matt went in search of their spouses, who had sought out their tables. Seeing each other, Loris and Dara couldn't help but laugh as they both agreed that their attire for the evening was perfect. Both were so involved in their conversation when Loris glanced past Dara and the smile she had been wearing moments earlier was replaced with a look of trepidation as she motioned towards the door;

"I hate to break it to you, but here comes your least favorite person."

Dara turned a causal glance towards the doorway to find Landrum standing there, looking as if he were searching the crowd for someone, she noticed that, when he glanced in her direction, he began making his way towards her table. Her eyes widening in panic as she began thinking of ways to avoid the man, she found herself turning in surprise to find her husband standing over her when he placed his hand on her shoulder before extending his hand in invitation to suggest;

"Come on, sweetheart, let's dance."

Grateful for his inspiration, Dara quickly placed her hand in his as she nodded;

"I'd love to, let's go."

Although she was grateful for her husband's offer to dance, what Dara didn't realized was that Lucas had spotted the man as he was making his way towards their table. Knowing how uncomfortable the man made his wife and wanting to save her from any possible embarrassment, he decided that the best course of action was for him to engage her attention on the dance floor. Feeling her relaxing considerably in his arms, he couldn't help but smile as she began to hum along with the tune the band was playing. Holding her closer he whispered in her ear;

"You're doing it again."

Glancing up at him in question, she demanded;

"Doing what?"

Chucking in amusement at the fact that her action was completely subconscious, he replied;

"You're humming along with the song."

Blushing as she smiled sheepishly, she asked in embarrassment;

"Is it that bad?"

Shaking his hand as he held her tighter, he denied;

"Not hardly; I happen to think that it sounds beautiful."

Smiling ruefully, Dara accused;

"You're just biased, my love."

Nodding Lucas confirmed her statement;

"When it comes to you, darlin, I most certainly am."

They were so involved with each other that neither Lucas or Dara noticed anyone else around them until Lucas felt someone tapping him on his shoulder. Turning, he glared at Landrum grimly, especially when the man smirked before asking;

"Would you mind if I cut in?"

Landrum felt triumphant in the fact that he knew that Buck wouldn't be happy at the idea of relinquishing his wife, but he also knew that he didn't have much choice without making a scene that would cause his wife embarrassment, and THAT, he knew without a doubt, was something that the man would not do.

Turning to his wife, Lucas could see by the look in her eyes that she had no desire to dance with the man, but he could also see the frustration in the fact that she had no choice unless she wished to create a scene, something that she wasn't willing to risk given that the even was to benefit her project. Lifting his eyebrow in silent inquiry, he grimly accepted her slight nod as her permission. Stepping aside, Lucas turned and glared daggers at the man as he ordered;

"Just don't tire her out."

With that he turned and stalked back to their table where Lucas took his seat and watching the man with his wife, seething at the position that Landrum had placed Dara in."

Dara did her best to keep as much distance between Landrum and herself as possible without seeming rude. Attempting to draw her out, Landrum offered;

"You look quite beautiful tonight."

Nodding politely, Dara simply replied;

"Thank you, Dr. Landrum."

Shaking his head, he ventured;

"Oh, I think that we can drop the formality, don't you? Call me Devon and I'll call you Dara."

Accepting her silence as her permission, he proceeded with the conversation;

"I've been meaning to ask you, just exactly how was it that your parents came by the name 'Dara'?"

Although she had agreed to dance to prevent a scene, Dara had no wish to encourage any more conversation than was absolutely necessary, that being the case she simply offered;

"I'm not really certain."

Breathing a reserved sigh of relief when she music finally ended, Dara made her excuses and hurried to the ladies room; the one place that she knew she could escape Landrum. Having seen her flight, Loris and Selena quickly followed to lend their support. Once behind the closed door and certain that they were the only occupants, both asked in concern;

"Are you alright?"

Nodding, Dara offered;

"Yes, but I think that I'm going to be playing hide and seek all night with that man."

Shaking her head at the impracticality of the idea, Selena offered her observations;

"You had better figure something out, quick. Your husband looks like he's about to strangle that man."

Nodding as she sighed in frustration, Dara confirmed;

"I know, I know."

Pursing her lips for a moment, Selena ventured;

"Would you mind if I try to distract him for you?"

Her eyes full of gratitude for the offer, Dara grabbed Selena's hand as she offered;

"Mind, I would be grateful; but are you sure? I mean, I don't want you putting yourself in a situation because of me, Selena."

Shrugging nonchalantly;

"Please, I've dealt with worse than him before. You just stay close to Lucas."

Letting Loris and Selena precede her and giving them a moment, Dara left the sanctuary and returned to take her seat. Narrowing his eyes in concern, Lucas demanded;

"Are you alright?"

Nodding, she offered him a slight smile;

"I'm fine."

Realizing who was approaching as Lucas swore under his breath, Dara placed her hand on his arm gently to plead;

"Please, just trust me, Selena and I have this all worked out, okay?"

Although he wasn't happy about the idea of Landrum hounding her, Lucas reluctantly nodded as the man came to stand over Dara with his hand held out in expectation as he asked;

"Could I have this dance, madam?"

Looking around the man to see if Selena had noticed and once she was assured that she had, she simply nodded her head in agreement. Rising without taking the hand he offered, she led the way to the dance floor. Watching as the man placed his hand across Dara's back, Lucas felt the fury burning inside of him, so much so that he failed to notice Selena's approach until she touched his arm before motioning towards the dance floor;

"Come on, let's join them."

The distrust evident in his eyes, Lucas narrowed his gaze as he looked up at Selena; he knew that Dara considered her a friend but he also knew from years of experience what she could be capable of. Realizing, by the look on his face, what he was thinking, Selena explained;

"It's not what you think, Dara and I have all of this worked out but you need to trust me."

Once they were on the dance floor, Selena suggested;

"Let's get closer to them."

Once they were close enough, Selena instructed;

"Now, go cut in."

Stopping to tap Landrum on his shoulder as well as imitating the other man's insolent smile, Lucas stated;

"I'm sure that you won't mind if I cut in and dance with MY wife."

Without waiting for the man's reply, he took Dara's hand in his own and began to navigate a wide area away from Landrum. Not wishing to appear embarrassed or create a scene, Landrum motioned politely to Selena;

"Ms. Coombs, would you care to dance?"

Purring seductively, Selena nodded;

"I never thought that you would ask."

Glancing past Lucas, Dara found herself thrilled to see that Selena had indeed managed to capture Landrum's attention. Sighing with visible relief, she relaxed and smiled up at her husband before he pulled her closer to allow her head to rest against his chest, even with the heels she was now wearing she only came to halfway up his chest. Glancing up she offered;

"Thank you for the rescue, hopefully, Selena can keep him occupied for the rest of the night."

Having realized that his attempts to monopolize Dara's time were becoming conspicuous, Landrum allowed Selena to keep him distracted. Although he found her a charming diversion, he couldn't help but fume each time he saw Buck with his hands on Dara. He had waited a long time to be near her and to find this man in, what he considered to be, his place was infuriating to him to the point that he wished he could simply rip the man's throat out and be done with it. Finally, realizing that the best course of action would be to leave, he contrived an imaginary emergency to excuse his sudden departure.

Noticing the man's departure as he was dancing with his wife, Matt shook his head as he offered sigh of relief on his friend's behalf before speculating;

"Well at least Dara can enjoy the rest of her evening without him hounding her anymore."

Nodding her agreement, Loris offered;

"Yeah, especially since he seems to be every where that she is."

His eyes narrowing in curiosity, Matt asked;

"Honey, what do you mean, 'he's everywhere that she is'?"

Glancing around to make certain that no one was within earshot, Loris explained;

"You can't say anything because Dara asked Selena and I not to say anything, but when we went to Charleston last week, we were eating lunch and he just suddenly appeared. I mean from out of nowhere, he claimed that he was there looking for a new tuxedo and running into Dara was a coincidence."

Matt couldn't help but ponder her statement, especially given that, both, he and Lucas had also needed to purchase new suits for the event and both had found exactly what was needed in the men's shop in Trinity. Seeing the turn of his thoughts, Loris nodded her agreement;

"I know, why didn't he just get his where you did? I'm telling you that it's like he knew that Dara was going to be there."

Trying to mask his own concerns over the situation, Matt pinned her with his eyes as he demanded;

"What are you saying, Loris?"

Pursing her lips in determination as she took a deep breath, she simply stated;

"Something tells me that he's stalking her."

Pondering her statement, his worry for Dara evident, he advised;

"We're going to let it go for now. We both know that Lucas Buck loves his wife and if that's the case then we also know that he'll fight heaven or hell to protect her."

As they drove home through the dark South Carolina night, Dara glanced from time to time at her husband and couldn't help but notice the set grimness to his profile as he remained silent. Finally, unable to bare the tension any longer, she questioned timidly;

"Lucas?"

Continuing to stare at the road in front of them he simply replied;

"Hmm?"

Wetting her lips nervously, she turned to him, the uncertainty evident on her face as she asked softly;

"Honey, are you angry with me?"

The reality of just how severe his mood truly was hitting him as he turned to glance at her, Lucas pulled the car off the road onto the shoulder. Seeing the worry in her eyes and realizing that she was frightened that he was truly angry with her and needed time to cool off, especially when he noticed unshed tears glimmering in her eyes. Shocking her, he took her in his arms to pull her close as she shook his head before placing a kiss on her forehead to offer;

"No, baby, I'm not angry with you at all; I'm frustrated with the situation. Something tells me that Landrum is after you and I don't like it one damned bit, but, the only answer that I can come up with is for you to give up working at the hospital, which isn't fair to you."

Pulling back slightly, Dara offered a small, hopeful smile before venturing;

"Well, let's look at the bright side, darling; I'll have the program to occupy most of my time, that should eliminate most of my contact with him."

Studying her face, he pleaded;

"You'll promise that you'll be careful around him; and if he gives you anymore problems that you'll tell me?"

Nodding, Dara agreed;

"I promise."

Thanks to the financial success of the gala, the project committee agreed that the they were now in the financial position to begin the program in earnest. Since the decision to place Dara as the head of the committee had been a unanimous one, she threw herself into it totally. Given that it was almost the end of May and the boost and support that had been received, everyone was hopeful that the program could be up and fully running by the start of the next school year.

For the most part, Dara had indeed found herself able to avoid Landrum, with the exception of the staff meetings and an occasional patient inquiry, her contact with the man was as minimal as possible. She found that her life was achieving a happy balance; her children were growing and thriving, Caleb had moved in with him, which met with Matt and Loris' approval, her work day was split between her work at the hospital and her time dealing with securing a location for the children's program and her marriage was on a steady and secure foundation. Dara couldn't help but think of how abundantly blessed she was and how fortunate that her life had such a balance to it; however, she was about to find the focus of her world altered considerably.

Knowing that she had not been feeling particularly well as of late, Lucas had decided to surprise her and take her to lunch. Since Caleb has also been ill, as were most of the students that she worked with, they had simply assumed that she had managed to catch whatever illness the children had. Hearing the knock on her door as she was going over some paperwork, she looked up as her husband entered, glad to see him, she offered a smile before questioning;

"Hello, sweetheart, what brings you out?"

Sitting on the edge of her desk, he shrugged;

"I thought that I'd take my wife to lunch; how about it?"

Considering his suggestion, she realized that she didn't really have an appetite, but she could definitely use a change of scenery from the four walls of her office. Nodding, he rose from her chair;

"Sure, let's go."

While on their way to the cafeteria, Dara noticed Matt and explaining that she needed to discuss something with him regarding the program for a moment she left her husband's side to approach him. Noticing her approach, Matt held his finger up to indicate that he needed a moment as he was in the process of drawing a blood sample. Nodding her understanding, Dara stood patiently as Matt inserted the needle into the patient's vein. Having seen the procedure numerous times, Dara had never been squeamish at the sight of blood, especially considering the fact that she worked in a hospital; however, when she saw the blood start to flow into the vial, she began to feel dizzy as well as turning deathly pale just before she felt her knees buckle before being engulfed in blackness.

Seeing her crumpling to the floor, Lucas rushed over to help his wife as Matt, having witnessed the same thing, quickly finished with the procedure before rushing out to help. Motioning to Lucas, who had gathered Dara in his arms, into an empty examination room. Laying her gently on the exam table, he placed his arm behind her shoulders to lift her to a reclining position as he patted her cheek in an attempt to revive her;

"Dara, honey? Come on now, wake up."

Opening her eyes slowly, she looked into her husband's as she moaned;

"Oh Lord, I think that I'm going to be sick."

Grabbing the empty trash pail, Matt held it for her while Lucas supported her as she eased her stomach, once she had calmed once more, Lucas eased her back to a reclining position on the table before turning to Matt to ask;

"Do you that that she has what everyone else has?"

Although he asked, Lucas knew, deep inside, what her ailment was. He had known the night that she had conceived that she was once again pregnant, but he also know that it was best to let her make the discovery on her own, so he simply let things run their course. Turning to Matt who was shaking his head, he wasn't shocked when the physician advised;

"I don't know, but she's due for her physical anyway so now is as good of a time as any to do it."

Turning he left to order the necessary tests that were needed to complete a thorough physical. When he finally returned after the results of the last tests had come back, Dara demanded;

"Well, are you going to give me something so that I can get over whatever this is?"

Shaking his head, he advised;

"Dara, hun, you don't have a virus, what you have is a good old fashioned case of pregnancy."

Her eyes widening in shocked disbelief, she turned to him to ask quietly;

"Are you certain?"

Nodding, Matt explained;

"I ran the test myself; twice. You're definitely pregnant again?"

Studying the look on her face, he placed his hand on her shoulder as he questioned;

"It's good news, isn't it?"

Turning to her husband, he asked the same question with her eyes. Seeing the concern in her eyes, Lucas pulled her close to him as he ventured;

"Well I think it is."

Pulling back slightly to search his face, she reminded him;

"Are you sure; you do realize that we'll have three children in diapers, don't you?"

Nodding, he shrugged;

"Well, I guess that we're just going to have to give Mrs. Carlton a raise and keep her to help us out, that's all."

Dara couldn't help but sigh in relief, she had feared that the idea of another child might upset him, but hearing the happiness so obvious in his voice she felt heartened as she turned to Matt to plead;

"Please tell me that you'll be my doctor; I can't deal with another episode like Hanson."

Nodding, Matt agreed;

"For you, yes, I'll do it. Now, why don't you go home and get some rest."

Standing in the doorway of the nursery, Lucas stood quietly, watching Dara as she sat in the rocking chair, deep in thought, as she watched their children napping. Approaching her, he lowered himself to sit on his heels as he asked softly;

"Are you upset at being pregnant again so soon?"

Shaking her head as she sighed heavily, she tried to put her feelings into words;

"No, but you do realize that there won't be but a little more than a year between them, don't you? I just thought that there would be a little more of an age difference, but if it's meant to happen then it's meant to happen."

Before they could say anything more, they heard the front door open and close as Caleb announced his arrival, turning to her husband, Dara asked in uncertainty;

"Should we go ahead and tell him or not?"

Considering the decision for a minute, Lucas shook his head as he rationalized;

"We might as well, he's going to have to find out sooner or later, so why not now."

Rising, he held his hand out for her to pull herself up form the chair to make their way downstairs. Finding him in the kitchen, having just sat down with a glass of milk and a snack to do his homework, he turned to his parents in shock as they entered the room;

"What are you two doing home so early?"

Dara bit at her bottom lip as she explained;

"I decided to come home early, Caleb, I wasn't feeling very well."

Shaking his head in sympathy, he offered;

"I'm sorry, is it that junk that's going around school?"

Glancing over her shoulder to Lucas for his reassurance, at his nod she continued;

"Actually, Caleb, I don't have a virus. I'm going to have another baby."

Watching the play of emotions over his young face, she continued;

"I know that it's a little soon for it, but the fact is that I'm pregnant and I know that you love Alex and Riesa, so I hope that you'll love this baby as much as you do them."

Turning from one to the other, Caleb demanded;

"Are you happy about the new baby?"

Having remained silent, allowing Dara to break the news, Lucas stepped up to stand behind as he placed his hands on her shoulders to offer his support as he stated firmly;

"Yes, Caleb. We are VERY happy about it and we're hoping that you're happy about it too."

Both watched the play of emotions on the boy's face, holding their breath in fear of his reaction. However, when a wide grin broke across his face, they exhaled slowly in relief as he shook his head before pointing out;

"Boy, we sure are gonna have a lot of diapers to change around here."

Reaching across the table to place her hand over his, Dara vowed;

"Caleb, you might not be my natural son, but I still love you as if you were my own. I promise you, no matter how many children we have, nothing will change how much your father and I love you."

Finding himself blushing, uncomfortable with her show of emotion, Caleb rose to hug her tightly before stating;

"Aw, shoot; I knew that."

Later that night, as Dara was brushing her hair as she was preparing for bed, she turned to her husband in curiosity;

"Do you have any preference this time?"

Shaking his head, Lucas ventured;

"No, the only preference that I have is for this to be a healthy baby and for you not to have to suffer the way you did the last time you were pregnant."

Climbing into bed to settle next to him, Dara shyly admitted;

"Actually, that was the same thing that I was hoping for too."

After leaning over to extinguish the bedside lamp, Lucas pulled her closer to him as he offered her an encouraging smile;

"Nothing is going to happen this time, darlin."

Lifting her face up to receive a kiss, Dara nodded;

"I believe you."

Holding her close as she drifted off to sleep, Lucas laid awake considering the enormity of the promise that he had just made to his wife. Deciding that, regardless as to what it took, he would make sure that she was safe this time, he found himself satisfied and able to find his rest as well.

Across town, Devon Landrum was finding his ability to sleep non existent, especially given the rising fury he felt at having been unable to get close to the object of his obsession; Dara. Given the fact that her husband always seemed to be hovering nearby was something that complicated matters even further for him; however, the final straw for his patience came that day when he happened to spot Dara's medical chart in the 'OUT' basket at the nurses' station, waiting to be filed. 'Accidentally' mixing it up with the patient files that he had been carrying at that moment, he removed it to the privacy of his office to study the information further. Once he learned the findings from her latest examination he became even more furious at the idea of Lucas Buck, not only, taking what he considered his rightful place, but the thought of the man having had such intimate contact with her. Staring through the TV screen, yet not seeing the images, he made his mind up, firmly, to just what had to be done.

Since his arrival in Trinity, he had been formulating a plan of action, yet, the key piece of the puzzle, a secluded area, was something that had eluded him. However, Fate had dropped the final piece into his hands just after the charity gala.. He had been exploring the wooded area, just outside of Trinity, when he discovered a small, abandoned house, exploring it further, he had discovered that all possible exits were either boarded up or accessible only form the outside. Since his discovery he had been secretly furnishing it to make it as comfortable as possible. Deciding that his patience was at an end with the situation, especially now that she was pregnant, he made his mind up to the fact that he knew what had to be done. Feeling more settled and at peace with the knowledge that he would soon have things under control, as they should be, as well as realizing his goal of having Dara with him, he found that he would be able to sleep after all.

Dara's first exam came two days after the discovery of her pregnancy, as before, Lucas wanted to be included in every aspect of their baby's life. Once he had conducted a thorough examination and received the results of her tests, Matt entered his office, obviously pleased with his findings given the smile he wore;

"Well, all of your blood work came back and it looks just fine, other than the iron deficiency, but we can fix that with your vitamins. You're still a little underweight, but not by very much so I don't see that as being a problem for you. Now, according to the calendar, this baby should be making an appearance around the first week in February, so that makes you about six weeks pregnant."

Leaning forward, Lucas addressed the issue that had been utmost on his mind at that point;

"Do you think that she'll have as rough a time with her morning sickness or with delivering this time?"

Shaking his head as he sat back in his chair, Matt offered;

"I don't think so, besides, this pregnancy seems to be totally different so far from her last one. Plus, she had a lot of stress the last time as well as carrying twins, that always makes for a stressful pregnancy. No, I think that she'll be just fine this time."

Turning to offer him a tender smile as she placed her hand over his, Dara demanded;

"There, are you satisfied?"

Meeting her eyes, Lucas stated firmly;

"I'll be satisfied after you've had the baby and I know that you're both alright."

Squeezing his hand, Dara leaned closer as she looked deeply into his eyes before admonishing;

"Honey, I'm just carrying a baby, not a pouch of dynamite. I'm going to be just fine and so will our baby."

Glancing at her watch she rose to place a kiss on his mouth before explaining;

"I have to go, I'm meeting with the school board in an hour. I'll see you tonight."

Matt couldn't help but notice the look on Lucas' face as he watched his wife leave the office. He and this man would never be considered friends, but one common ground that they shared was Dara. Having grown to care about her like the sister that he had never had and knowing what Lucas was capable of, his natural inclination was to worry about her; however, he had no doubt of the man's love for his wife. Trying to ease his fears, he offered quietly;

"She's going to be fine you know?"

Brought from his thoughts by Matt's statement, Lucas nodded as he vowed;

"I know that she is, regardless as to what I have to do to ensure it."

Puzzled, Matt questioned;

"You think that there's a problem besides her health, don't you?"

Tightening his jaw, Lucas stood and closed the door before reclaiming his seat to lean on the edge of the desk as he queried;

"What do you know about Landrum?"

Although Matt had his suspicions about the man, he knew also knew that was all they were at this point. Choosing a neutral path, he finally offered;

"I don't know, I mean I really don't see him that much; why?"

Pinning the man with his eyes, Lucas demanded;

"Have you ever notice how he looks at my wife, Harvard?"

Matt realized that there was no neutral answer that would be truthful to this particular question, so, bearing that in mind, he sighed heavily before nodding;

"Yes, I'd be lying if I said that I haven't. He definitely has an attraction to her and I know that she's aware of it. She does everything within reason to avoid him and she told me before that he make's her extremely uncomfortable. Whenever possible, if she has to deal with him, I try to be around to make it easier for her."

His suspicions confirmed, Lucas nodded as he asked;

"And did you happen to notice his performance at the gala last month? She couldn't turn around without finding him there."

Weighing the necessity of imparting the information that his wife had shared with him, Matt realized that it was something Lucas needed to be made aware of as he tossed his pen on his desk before confessing;

"Yeah, I noticed and there's something else that I think you should know. Dara made Selena and Loris promise not to mention it, but when they went to Charleston for the day, Loris said that they were eating lunch when Landrum appeared out of nowhere. She said that Dara didn't want to upset you, but it was obvious that she was really shaken and stressed by it. She also said that it was like he had followed them, like he knew just where to find Dara."

Matt could see the direction that the man's thoughts were taking as he processed this new piece of information. Deciding he needed to address the concern he saw on the man's face he offered;

"Look, it's none of my business, but I can see what you're thinking about doing and, between us, as a husband I couldn't and wouldn't blame you. But, you and I both know exactly how Dara would feel about it and you have got to put her first."

Lucas glared at the man for his audacity, until his statement hit reality, nodding, he agreed;

"You're right, and if it makes you feel better to know it, she always comes first."

Rising form his chair, he left Matt's office, leaving the physician to his own thoughts. Shaking his head, Matt muttered aloud to himself;

"I hope that everything works itself out for both of you."


	29. Chapter 29

**CHAPTER 29**

After two weeks, Devon Landrum had finished supplying the small, abandoned cabin that he had laid claim to as well as working out each careful detail of his plan. Once he had the logistics worked out, he formulated his alibi; leaving amid witnesses to attend a conference in Atlanta, at least as far as they were aware. The truth was that he was only flying as far as Charleston, making certain that he missed the connecting flight to Atlanta and returning to Trinity in a rental car.

Once he reached the hospital's parking garage, he made certain that no witnesses were present as he made his way to Dara's car to quickly slide underneath it before taking the ice pick that he had purchased and, locating the fuel line, punctured several small holed throughout the line. Watching as the gas began to slowly drip on the concrete, he quickly made his way to his vehicle. Hurrying, he changed his clothing before retrieving his own car before making a return trip to the hospital to wait for Dara to leave.

Noticing her entering the parking garage, Landrum watched as she unlocked her door before getting in and starting the car. He waited a few minutes before starting his own vehicle to follow behind her at a discreet distance. He knew that today was Wednesday and, that being the case, she would be heading to the less populated area just outside of Trinity where she had managed to acquire a house to use for the children's program. Noticing that her car was beginning to have the trouble that he had expected, he passed by as she pulled the car to the side of the road, then, cutting through a side road that would lead back to the main road, just behind where she had pulled her car off the road. Pulling up behind her car, he smiled to himself as he prepared to get out of the car, muttering to himself;

"Now, things can go as they should."

Making a mental list of the items that she needed to discuss with the contractor who had volunteered his time to refurbish what would be the children's center, Dara felt her car begin to lurch and sputter. Staring at the gauges in disbelief, she swore;

"Damn, that's impossible; Lucas just filled this car with gas two days ago."

Considering, she knew that her gas should not have been down by more than a quarter of a tank, if that much, but according to the needle, it was completely empty. Pulling the car off to the side of the road, she cursed herself for not agreeing to Lucas' suggestion that she get a cell phone; reasoning that she didn't need anything more than her pager. Her frustration rising, she hit the steering wheel in frustration as she considered her options; she was more than a mile from the center and there were no houses in sight, nor any traffic to flag down. Weighing her options she knew that she could hope that one of the deputies on patrol would pass by since they all knew her car, however, she also knew that she really didn't want to wait in the car, due to the heat. Deciding on her course of action, she opted to take her chances and start walking to the center; glancing down at her shoes, she shook her head in self chastisement;

"Well, you were the one who just HAD to have them, so suffer the consequences."

With that, she opened the door and got out, deciding to leave her purse and briefcase and take only her keys as she locked the door before turning in the direction of the center. Before she could start walking a car pulled up behind her, she was about to thank her lucky stars until she saw whom the driver was as Devon Landrum stepped out to smile at her before asking;

"Car trouble?"

Instinctively, Dara took a step backwards before nodding;

"Yes, I appear to have run out of gas and, unfortunately, there isn't a phone nearby, so I thought that I would walk to the center and call my husband."

Motioning to his car, Landrum offered;

"I'd be happy to take you if you would like."

Considering his offer, Dara began weighing the pros and cons of accepting it; although she didn't particularly relish the idea of being in an enclosed space with this man, she also knew that, given her condition, she really didn't need to walk a mile in the heat. Seeing that she was trying to rationalize with herself, Landrum sought to swing her decision in his favor as he offered contritely;

"Look, Mrs. Buck, Dara. I know that I've probably made you very uncomfortable since my arrival and for that, I apologize. But in all honesty, I know about your condition and we both realize that you shouldn't walk in this heat. I promise you that I'll be a perfect gentleman and I'll take you to the center, it's not far from here."

Weighing his words in her mind, Dara looked at him, the suspicion evident in her eyes as she questioned;

"I thought that you were going to attend a conference in Atlanta, weren't you supposed to leave this morning?"

Nodding, Landrum lied convincingly;

"Yes, but I had an emergency at Juniper House so I had to reschedule to a later flight. I'm on my way to the airport now."

Accepting his explanation, Dara relented;

"Well, if you wouldn't mind, I would really appreciate it if you would drop me off at the center."

Offering her, what he hoped, was a benevolent smile, especially given, what he viewed as, his success, he walked around the car to open the passenger door for her. Once he slid behind the steering wheel, he pulled the car back onto the road as he drove in the direction of the center. Motioning to the side road, Dara offered;

"Dr. Landrum, that's the way to the center."

Fear filling her eyes as he passed by the road, she tried to keep her voice calm as she offered a nervous smile;

"Dr. Landrum, you missed the turn."

Glancing at her in an apologetic manner, he shook his head;

"Oh, did I? I'm sorry, I'll turn around."

Her relief visible in her face, he pulled the car off the side of the road as if he was about to execute a wide turn; however, the relief was short lived as he put the car in park before hitting the automatic lock button. Dara's eyes widened in panic as she reached for her door handle before demanding;

"What are you doing?"

Silently, he withdrew a hypodermic needle from his pocket and uncapped it as Dara tried to unlock her door, before she could reach the handle, he had managed to snatch her arm and jab the needle in before quickly injecting whatever its contents were into her blood stream. Seeing the panic in her eyes, he rushed to soothe her fears;

"Please don't worry, dear. I promise that it's nothing fatal, just a tranquilizer to keep you calm and sedate."

Bringing his hand up to stroke her cheek, he asked in astonishment;

"Surely you must know that I would never harm you."

Beginning to feel the effects of the injection as she tried to avoid his touch, Dara blinked through the haze that the drug was creating as she demanded;

"Why?"

Staring at her in disbelief, he explained;

"I would have thought that would be obvious; I'm in love with you and I'm going to have you, one way or another."

Unable to fight the effects of the injection that he had given her any longer, Dara fell back on the seat into unconsciousness.

Sitting at the kitchen table with Caleb, Lucas waited patiently for Dara; he had already seen to the twins bathes and feedings as well as having already put them down for the night. Helping Caleb with his schoolwork, Lucas was trying to keep his mind preoccupied as he fought to push down the feeling of dread that there was a problem. He kept trying to reason that, being Wednesday, she had gone by the center to check on the progress of the renovation work being done and had probably gotten caught up in chatting with Selena or one of the other committee members. However, when the grandfather clock chime nine, he could no longer deny the feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach.

Since the births of the twins and especially since Caleb had moved in with them, Dara had made it a point to be home in plenty of time to tend to the babies, put supper on the table and help Caleb with his school work. Lucas couldn't bring himself to believe that, after more than a year and a half, she would change her schedule without so much as a phone call. Finally, when the clock chimed ten, he turned to Caleb, who was also beginning to show his concern for his step mother;

"Son, do you think that you can sit with the babies so that I can go and look for Dara?"

Nodding, Caleb agreed;

"Yeah, I can handle it."

Lucas couldn't help but pat the boy's back as he praised;

"I know that you can. But, if anything comes up, call the Crowers and, in a pinch, Selena if you have to."

Having called both earlier to see if they had seen his wife, Lucas had learned, from Matt, that the last time he had seen her was when she had left her office for the day. Heading for the front door, he had just opened it as Ben was about to knock. Startled, Ben explained;

"Lucas, I was just coming to see you."

Shaking his head, his face a mask of grimness, Lucas advised;

"Not now, Ben, I've got to find my wife."

Placing his hand against his shoulder, Ben stalled him;

"That's why I'm here, Lucas. We found Dara's car about a mile from the center, abandoned."

The shock and worry evident on his face, Lucas demanded;

"What the hell do you mean, 'abandoned'?"

Shaking his head in frustration of the mystery, Ben relayed the findings;

"It's the damnedest thing; it's locked up tight and her purse is in it with her briefcase, but no keys and no Dara."

Tossing his keys to him as he motioned to his car, Lucas ordered;

"Fire it up, Ben."

Turning, he made his way to the leaving room to grab the phone, punching out the familiar number, he began swearing;

"Dammit, Mama, pick it up."

Finally, he heard his grandmother greeting as she answered. Not bothering with the formalities, he launched in;

"Mama, this is Lucas. Look, I need you to get down here; fast."

Uncertain that she had heard her grandson correctly, Lucilla demanded;

"What are you up to, boy?"

His aggravation rising to the top, Lucas snapped;

"I'm not up to anything, Mama. My wife is missing, she's disappeared and I need some help; YOUR help."

Understanding his meaning, Lucilla agreed;

"Alright, I'll be there just as soon as possible."

With that she hung up the phone before hurrying to pack as she silently hoped that her granddaughter in law was safe at the moment.

Struggling to make her way to consciousness through the haze that the drug had created, Dara rose up on her elbow as she brought her hand up to her head to ease the dizziness that she was suffering. She was trying to focus on her surroundings when she realized that she had no idea where she was; however, at that moment, the door opened as Landrum stepped through baring a tray and smiling as he greeted;

"Are you feeling any better, darling?"

Her eyes narrowing as she glared at him, Dara replied sarcastically;

"Why don't you let me out of here and then ask me that question."

Finding her display of temper amusing, he laughed as he shook his head;

"That's the one thing that I'm afraid I can't do; you'd only go back to that man that you've mistakenly married."

The disbelief showing in her eyes, Dara demanded incredulously;

"I supposed that you believe that I should have married you?"

Nodding, Landrum turned to her as he placed the tray on a nearby table before stating;

"Yes; I've always believed that."

Unable to believe what she was hearing, Dara shook her head as she demanded;

"How could you have 'always' believed that? You only met me a few months ago."

Shaking his head in denial, he suggested;

"Try again, dear. I've known you since you were seventeen years old."

Her head reeling in confusion over his statement, she denied;

"That's impossible, even after ten years I would remember you."

Chuckling maliciously as the corners of his mouth curled in an evil smile, Landrum ventured;

"Not if I changed my name since then. Not to mention that you only gave me a cursory glance back then anyway; after all, a teacher-student romance can be a sticky situation."

Narrowing her eyes at she stared at him, trying to remember; she couldn't deny that he did remind her of someone, but she couldn't quite place just exactly who that someone was. Then, as if a lightening bolt had illuminated the clouded memory to bring it into clear focus, her eyes widened before exclaiming in disbelief;

"Oh my God!"

Casting her a sneer, he questioned;

"Remembered, did you?"

Dara couldn't help but stare at him in puzzlement before shrugging;

"I don't get it, why did you change you name?"

Bringing a chair forward, he sat as he explained;

"If you remember, my father was also a psychiatrist and after that unfortunate incident with his patient, which caused a scandal, the name 'Andress' wasn't exactly welcomed in the profession; so, that being the case, I decided to change my name. Landrum was my mother's maiden name and Devon is my middle name, I simply dropped 'Daniel' and 'Andress'. Then, when I began finding out about you and I was offered this position, I felt that finding you here was simply putting icing on the cake. I almost had a position at the hospital that you worked at in North Carolina, but that fell thru."

Dara couldn't help but sigh in a combination of disbelief and concern over the lengths that he had gone to, something that indicated just how unbalanced the man must truly be:

"You really can't be serious. Do you mean to tell me that you've tracked me for more than ten years? I told you then that was I wasn't interested and I can assure you that nothing has changed. Whether you like it or not, I happen to be a married woman who is VERY much in love with her husband and I can assure you that I did NOT make a mistake in marrying Lucas."

It wasn't hard to realize that the fury, which was beginning to rise, in him was becoming almost tangible as he shook his head vehemently;

"You just don't know the real me right now. You'll get to know me and learn to love me."

Astonished by the depth of his delusion, Dara couldn't help but stare as she tried to rationalize with him;

"Well, that is an idea, but you seem to have forgotten a few things. One, I'm married; do you really think that my husband is simply going to stand idly by? He's the sheriff and we both know that he'll find me. Two, you're the first person that he is going to suspect, and three, no one who knows me will EVER believe that I simply up and left my family, especially my children."

Offering a malicious laugh, Landrum pointed out, what he considered, the flaws of her logic;

"I think that there seem to be some things, in your mistaken fondness for THAT man, that you seem to have forgotten. First of all, from what I understand, your husband's reputation isn't the most savory around Trinity. I'm sure that everyone will simply assume that you saw through him and that you were either forced to leave your children to make your own escape or that you were forced to leave as well as forced to leave your children behind. Second; I have an airtight alibi. I can prove that, as of this moment, I am in Atlanta. So, my love, unless you have any other bits of news or points of interest, I believe that is checkmate."

Glancing down at her hands, folded in her lap, Dara tried to rationalize a way out of her situation. She knew that she was definitely dealing with a, at best, psychopath, not just a psychopath but one who's delusions found her now facing a dangerous situation. Noticing her quiet mood, Landrum informed her;

"I can see that you need time to adjust to all of this. There are clothes in those drawers for you to wear and a small bathing tub. I'm sorry that there isn't any running water here, but I'll make certain that you always have fresh water. There's also a small cooler there with food, water and soda in it, if there's anything else that you need just let me know. I'll be staying here until the morning since I'm not due to return from Atlanta until tomorrow, but make no mistake, you won't be escaping here."

He was about to leave the room when, as if suddenly remembering, he turned to advise her;

"Oh and by the way, I want you but I definitely don't want that bastard that you're carrying. Your son and daughter can stay with their father, but I'm not going to wait for seven months to have you; you're going to have an abortion."

Horror filling her eyes, Dara shook her head vehemently as she placed her hand protectively over her stomach before stating adamantly;

"You can't force me to abort my baby, and you can't take me to a clinic, I'll make certain that they know EVERYTHING."

The corners of his mouth curling in an evil and maniacal smile, he nodded her agreement of her observation;

"Oh, I'm quite aware of the fact that I can't realistically take you to a clinic. But you seem to forget, dearest Dara, the difference between your degree in Psychology and mine is that mine includes an M.D behind it. So that being the case, there's nothing to say that I can't perform the procedure myself."

Her eyes widening in disbelief and horror at what he was saying, Dara stated in a quiet tone;

"You, are an insane monster."

Before she had realized his intentions, he crossed the space between them to the strike her hard across her face, using enough force to make her wonder why her neck had not snapped off of her shoulders with the contact. Dara's fear multiplied when she saw the frenzied look in his eyes, a clear indication of just how demented his mental state truly was, especially when he descended several more times, slapping her in the face. Falling to the floor, she curled herself into a tight ball to protect the vulnerable area of her stomach from his attack; something that seemed to anger him even further. She realized that her attempt to protect her unborn child had fueled his temper to burn even higher as she felt the blows of, what she assumed was, a belt or at least a strip of leather land on her back.

Feeling as if she were on the verge of passing out from the pain, Dara dared to look up into his face when the attack stopped. She could see that the frenzied look seemed to have been replaced by regret as he offered;

"I apologize for that, but you need to learn it now, I have a terrible temper and I detest being referred to as insane. So, for your own sake, don't EVER refer to me in that way again."

She couldn't believe how he seemed to make his apology sound as if he had simply said the wrong thing instead of physically attacking her. Watching as he left the room, locking the door behind him, she rose to her feet, although unsteady at first, she soon had her bearings. Using the last of the strength she had, she took the chair and shoved it under the doorknob in an effort to keep him out. Logic demanded that she try to rest, at least for her child's sake; lying down on the cot once more, she couldn't help but remember his statement about what he had planned for her baby. Dara allowed the tears to fall, unchecked, as she prayed out loud;

"Dear Lord, please let Lucas find me soon."

Turning towards the wall as she curled herself into a ball she asked quietly;

"Lucas, where are you?"

Lucas and Ben were inspecting Dara's car with a fine tooth comb in the hopes of finding some type of clue that would give them an indication of what had taken place and, in turn, would lead them to Dara's whereabouts. Once Lucas had used his set of keys to unlock the door, he took his wife's purse and began emptying its contents onto the hood of the car before motioning;

"Ben, come here."

Joining Lucas at the front of the vehicle, he watched as Lucas began sorting the contents as he opened Dara's wallet. Finding all of the money that he knew she had as well as her credit cards and checkbook. Turning to Ben, Lucas demanded;

"Do you know anybody that would leave and NOT take some money with them?"

Shaking his head in agreement of Lucas' statement, Ben asked;

"No, I don't, but are you sure that she didn't have more cash than what's there?"

Lucas shook his head in denial as he explained;

"I'm sure; Dara very rarely takes money out of the bank. She either writes a check or she uses her cards, whatever cash I give her is what she has. This morning she gave Caleb ten dollars for school and she told me that was the only cash she had. I gave her a hundred dollars in twenties; what's there?"

Thumbing through the bills himself, Ben confirmed; "Five twenties. Lucas, what are you thinking?"

Turning his attention back to the contents of his wife's purse as he searched through what remained, he pulled out a bottle of prenatal vitamins as well as an asthmatic inhaler before holding them up for Ben's inspection as he demanded;

"Do you know anyone who has to use one of these who is just going to leave it behind; willingly? Not to mention, Dara takes these faithfully, especially given her iron deficiency."

Ben placed his hands on his hips in consideration as he took a deep breath. He knew that Dara was prone to bronchial issues and since this was June and the height of the allergy season, he couldn't imagine her leaving the inhaler behind, if she had been given the choice. As Lucas began replacing the contents of his wife's purse, Ben couldn't help but agree with his observation as he declared in certainty;

"Somehow, I don't know how, but somehow, she was tricked. I know my wife and she wouldn't just leave her car, her purse and her briefcase; someone has taken her, Ben."

Before Ben could offer his opinion, Floyd motioned for them to join him;

"Lucas, look at this."

Joining Floyd as he aimed his flashlight from the driver's side to the gauges behind the steering wheel, Lucas narrowed his eyes as he muttered, more to himself than to anyone;

"What the hell, that can't be right."

Pushing Floyd aside, Lucas flipped the lever to push the seat back as he slid into the driver's seat and put his key into the ignition before attempting to crank the car. When it wouldn't turn over, he turned to T.J., the tow truck driver, and ordered;

"T.J., I want you to take it in and I want you to look it over, very carefully. Do you understand?"

Curiosity filling his eyes, T.J questioned;

"Sure thing, Lucas. Is there anything in particular that I'm looking for?"

Nodding, Lucas explained;

"Yeah, I filled this thing myself two days ago and it should have at least three quarters of a tank of gas, if not more, it's on empty. I want you to find out why."

Turning to motion for Ben to follow him, Lucas got into his own car before leaning out the window and instructing his deputy;

"Ben, I want you to find out where Landrum is at, I'll meet you at the office."

Bringing the motor of his vehicle to life, Lucas turned in the direction of the Sheriff's office.

Lucas was at his desk, trying to fathom the mystery of his wife's disappearance when T.J tapped on his office door before approaching his desk. Holding out a dirty rag, he unwrapped it to reveal its contents; a piece of hose, for Lucas' inspection. Noticing the small puncture marks that riddled the piece of rubber, Lucas demanded;

"I get that it's a hose, but what does it go to, T.J?"

Pushing the cap back on his head, T.J, nodded before explaining;

"You were right, Lucas; it's a piece of fuel line from your wife's car. You see those holes? I'd say that they were made by a pointed screwdriver, maybe an ice pick or pointed chisel maybe. But one things for sure, someone wanted to make sure that her car ran out of gas, but not too fast. I'm guessing someone wanted her stranded somewhere isolated and given where we found her car, I'd say they got their wish."

Nodding, Lucas agreed;

"Especially if it was someone who knew that she'd be going to that section of town on this specific day. Thanks, T.J, I appreciate you getting on it so fast. Would you mind fixing the line when you can? Dara's real fond of that car."

At the man's nod and as he left, Lucas rose to follow him out as Ben was entering the building. Motioning to his deputy he informed him;

"Come on, Ben, we're going to the hospital."

Ten minutes later, Ben and Lucas were standing in Dara's parking space, staring at the small puddle that had soaked into the cement but still smelled heavily of gas. Kneeling down, Lucas touched the wet spot before sniffing the air as he turned to Ben to inquire;

"Ben, is it just me or do you smell a lot of gas, right here?"

Ben nodded as he agreed;

"Yeah, Lucas, whoever did it, they did it right here."

Pinning him with his eyes, Lucas demanded;

"Did you find Landrum?"

His face a mask of disbelief, Ben told him his findings;

"Supposedly, he's at a conference in Atlanta until tomorrow."

Pondering Ben's statement, Lucas realized that, Ben, no more than he, was convinced of the validity of Landrum's alibi. Lucas knew that the man was involved and he wasn't willing to dismiss Landrum so easily. Turning to Ben he asked;

"Do me a favor; start checking into it, there has to be some kind of a connection between him and Dara; find it."

On their way back to the station, Lucas advised him;

"I left Caleb with the kids and I need to check on them."

Nodding his understanding, Ben hurried from the car. He, like Lucas, had his suspicions where Landrum was concerned and he was certain that the man was at the bottom of Dara's disappearance, so if there was a connection, he was determined that he was going to find it.

Walking in the front door, Lucas found his grandmother coming down the staircase from the direction of the nursery. Giving her an uncharacteristic hug before thanking her for arriving so quickly. Lucilla couldn't help but notice the mask of worry and fear that her grandson was trying to disguise as she motioned towards the kitchen as she led the way. Pouring them both a cup of coffee, she informed him;

"Caleb is asleep, I told him that, under the circumstances, he could stay at home from school tomorrow. The babies woke up, but I got them back to sleep. I have to tell you though, they know that their mama isn't here; I can see it in the way that they look at me."

Glancing over the rim of his coffee cup at his grandmother, knowingly, he shrugged;

"Are you surprised?"

Shaking her head, Lucilla confessed;

"No, I'm just surprised that they aren't saying 'Mama' yet, but that's about it."

Running his hand through his hair in frustration, Lucas slammed his cup on the table before pleading;

"Dammit, Mama, where is she?"

Lucilla reached across the table to pat his shoulder in unaccustomed sympathy as she offered;

"Don't worry, boy, you'll find her."

Shaking his head, Lucas explained;

"You don't understand, Mama; she's seven weeks pregnant. I wanted this time to be different for her, I promised her that it would be and now, I don't even know where she is."

Pondering her grandson's admission for a moment, Lucilla asked;

"Have you tried really 'searching' for her?"

Nodding, Lucas admitted;

"I've tried, Mama, but I can't get a fix. I think that I'm too close."

Realizing the truth of his statement, Lucilla agreed;

"That could be a definite problem."

Before either could consider the matter any further, they heard a knock at the back door. Lucas, assuming who it was, got up and allowed Ben to enter. Catching his breath, as he had hurried once finding the information he had, Ben exclaimed;

"You were right, Lucas; I found it."

Uncertain as to his exact meaning, Lucas demanded;

"Found what, Ben?"

Tipping his cap to Lucilla out of courtesy and respect, Ben continued;

"Have you got one of Dara's high school year books around here?"

Lucas couldn't help but wonder in disbelief of Ben's request as he chastised;

"Ben, this is really not the time for a stroll down memory lane."

Nodding, Ben offered;

"I know, Lucas, but just trust me. Do you have one?"

Motioning for him to follow him into the study, Lucas approached the section of glass encased bookcases that help such books as he demanded;

"Which year?"

Glancing at his notebook, Ben advised;

"She was about seventeen."

Finding two possibilities, Lucas made his way back to the kitchen as Ben took one of the books and began thumbing through pages until he fond what he was searching for. Handing the book to Lucas, Ben waited for his reaction as he glanced at the book before asking;

"Alright, so she was in advanced classes for psychology, given what she was planning for her career that's not a surprise, Ben. What's your point?"

Nodding, Ben stepped up to the table to take the book as he began thumbing through pages as he explained;

"I did some checking and those classes were taught by undergraduates at that time under a regular teacher's supervision; each quarter there was a different undergraduate. Now, Look who taught one quarter."

Glancing at the name that Ben was pointing too, Lucas shrugged;

"Daniel Andress, and your point?"

Flipping the pages, Ben placed the book in front of Lucas as he pointed to a photo;

"Does he look familiar?"

Lucas' eyes widened as he realized that he was looking at a photo of Devon Landrum taken a decade before, but it was definitely him. Ben handed him a copy of a legal document before offering;

"And guess who had their name legally changed to Devon Landrum?"

Noticing a barely readable inscription, Ben took the book from the table and narrowed his eyes before motioning to Lucas;

"Look what he wrote here."

Taking the book, Lucas had to focus his eyes due to the obvious fact that Dara had tried to erase the words as he read aloud;

"To Dara; not only my brightest student, but the brightest part of my day and hopefully the rest of my life."

Turning to Ben, who's face mirrored the same thoughts that he was contemplating, Lucas realized;

"He's been after her for ten years."

Having remained silent, Lucilla asked softly, the worry evident on her face;

"She didn't realize who he was?"

The realization of just how serious his wife's predicament was, Lucas' face took on a grim look of determination as he shook his head;

"Apparently not, he only taught for a few weeks and she probably dismissed him when he left. The problem is that he didn't dismiss her and, unfortunately, my wife doesn't realize just how attractive she truly is and just how many heads she manages to turn. She never considers that anybody, other than me, looks at her that way"

Turning to Ben, Lucas demanded;

"Why did he change his name?"

Shrugging, Ben ventured;

"Well, his father was Dr. Dean Andress. You remember, the one that was tried for stalking one of his patients?"

Sucking in a deep breath, Lucas realized aloud;

"Then he's had lessons form the best then."

Glancing to Ben, Lucas stated;

"Let me make a call."

Snatching the phone from the table, Lucas dialed the familiar number as he waited for the other end to be picked up, finally, when he was greeted, he launched in;

"Hello, Judge Barlow? Yeah, this is Lucas Buck. Look, I need a search warrant for the office and home of one Devon Landrum. Yes, I know who he is and unless I'm mistaken the bastard has my wife. No, she didn't run away with him. Judge, don't make me get ugly about this. Fine, I'll send my deputy right over for it; thanks."

With that he disconnected the call before ordering Ben;

"Just as soon as he puts that paper in your hands, you meet me at Landrum's house."

Nodding, Ben put his hand on Lucas' shoulder as he vowed;

"We'll get her back."

Turning, Lucas confided;

"I don't doubt that, but what I'm worried about is will it be in time?"

Turning he excused himself to go check on this children as Ben left to get the warrant. Heading up the staircase, Lucas offered his hope;

"Please, let me find her in time."

Although she had not thought it possible for her to find any sleep, Dara found herself startled awake when she heard the chair that she had placed under the doorknob rattled as Landrum attempted to enter. Finally, exerting enough force to rattle it loose, he was able to open the door. Glaring at her, he stated contritely;

"I've forgotten just exactly how stubborn you can be."

Narrowing her eyes, Dara replied sarcastically;

"I guess that I've made this kidnapping more difficult for you than necessary; my sincerest apologies."

Humor touching his eyes, Landrum chuckled;

"No need for you to apologize, my dear. Oh, by the way, I'll be leaving you for a while so that I can pick up the equipment that I'll need from the hospital."

Dara couldn't help but stare at him, horrified at the realization that he was, indeed, intent on aborting her baby. Deciding that she had nothing to lose, aside from another attack, she tried reasoning with him as she demanded;

"You do realize that if you do this, a snowball has a better chance in Hell than you do of my EVER loving you. If anything, I'll take every opportunity that I can to try and kill you. If that what you REALLY want?"

Shaking his head in denial of her declaration, he simply stated;

"You just think that now. But, once you're rid of that nuisance and you've recovered, we can begin our own family."

Staring at him in disbelief, Dara vowed;

"I'd rather die than to have you ever touch me, let alone carry and bare your children."

The look in his eyes changing to a cold glare, something that told Dara that she was breaking through his wall of delusion, Landrum issued;

"You'll change your mind, I'm sure. Now, let's not discuss this any longer."

Dara lifted her head as her eyes filled with defiance and determination before she demanded;

"Just one more thing, how do you propose to do this when I have absolutely no intentions of letting you get anywhere near me?"

The corners of his mouth curling in a maniacal smile filled with evil, he challenged;

"Well, I guess that should make things very interesting, shouldn't it?"

With that he closed and locked the door behind him. Waiting until she heard him leave, Dara rose from the cot and began combing the room for some small niche or crack that might offer a means of escape. The door was tightly secured, the windows were all boarded up and there were no loose floorboards that she might be able to pry up. In short; she was truly trapped. Dejectedly, she dropped own on the cot before sighing in frustration as she prayed;

"Oh, Lucas, honey, please hurry."

As Dara was praying for her rescue, Lucas, Ben and Floyd were forcing the door of Landrum's house. Once they had gained access, they began searching through the rooms for some clue as to where Landrum might have taken Dara. Coming from the laundry area, Floyd was holding a shirt and a pair of pants as he advised;

"Lucas, these clothes smell awfully strong of gas."

Taking the clothes from Floyd's hands, Lucas closed his eyes momentarily and saw an image of Landrum on the ground under a vehicle, in the action of stabbing at something. Opening his eyes to narrow them, he tossed the clothes to Ben before ordering;

"Beg em."

Once Ben had dealt with the clothes, he attempted to open the bedroom door. Finding it locked, he turned and observed;

"Lucas, this door is locked."

Crossing the space, Lucas tested the knob and without a word, brought his foot up to kick it wide, breaking the catch off. Turning to Ben, he stated firmly;

"Not anymore it's not."

Shaking his head, Ben realized that some things would never change. Turning to enter the room, Ben stopped short as his eyes widened in disbelief at what he was seeing. Looking over his shoulder, he advised;

"Lucas, I think that you really need to see this."

Approaching the doorway, Lucas demanded;

"What is it, Ben?"

Standing in the doorway, Lucas glanced around before muttering low;

"Oh my God!."

Every inch of the wall was covered with pictures of Dara; not one inch of wall in the room was showing. Walking around the room, Lucas studied the photos, some were snapshots, some were news clippings, he knew that there had to have been hundreds of them and they were all of the same subject; his wife. Shaking his head, Lucas found himself stating;

"He's obsessed with her."

Standing slightly behind Ben, Floyd asked;

"Lucas, if he's obsessed with her, wouldn't that mean that he would keep her safe?"

Turning to stare at his co worker in disbelief, Ben shook his head;

"No, Floyd, what that means is that he will do ANYTHING to get her and he would, more than likely, make sure that, if he can't have her, then nobody can."

Registering Ben's words, Lucas shook his head vehemently;

"Like hell. Floyd, you stay here, photograph this, bag ANY evidence that you find. Ben, you come with me."

A short time later, Lucas was in Landrum's office, forcing the locked desk drawer open. Searching, he found a box in the back of the drawer. Once he had it opened on the desk he discovered more photos of Dara as well as her appointment book and medical file. Shaking his head in disbelief, Lucas observed;

"No wonder he always seemed to know where she would be; the bastard made a copy of her appointment book."

Before he could say more, Matt entered the office as Lucas picked up Dara's medical file. His face registering his shock at seeing Lucas in Landrum's office, he asked;

"Have you seen Landrum?

Shaking his head as he opened the folder, Lucas answered;

"No, but I sure as hell would like to."

Turning to the man in curiosity, Lucas demanded;

"Why are you looking for him, Harvard?"

Shrugging, Matt explained;

"Well, he came in here about fifteen minutes, or so, ago and he he left with the equipment that we use for D & C's and such procedures. He said something about it being needed up at Juniper House, but I called and they have their own equipment."

Having opened Dara's medical file and noticing the last diagnosis entered was 'PREGNANCY', Lucas turned to Matt;

"Isn't that what you would use to perform an abortion?"

Nodding, Matt explained;

"Yeah, a little farther into a pregnancy."

The panic evident on his face, Lucas demanded;

"How far?"

Shrugging, Matt ventured;

"About seven weeks or..."

Sudden awareness dawning in Matt's eyes, he asked;

"You don't think?"

Flying out of the chair, Lucas ordered;

"Come on, Harvard. I may need you."

All three raced from the office down the hallway to the exit.


	30. Chapter 30

**CHAPTER 30**

Landrum had returned to the cabin with all of the equipment required for what he had in mind, including a generator for power since the equipment required electricity. He found that, true to her word, Dara had given him a run for his money with the struggle she put up in fighting him. Although she had made it as difficult as possible for him, being much larger than she, he was able to finally pin her to the cot and give her a strong injection of Valium to render her unconscious. Restraining her until the medication took effect, he studied her face until her eyes closed and she fell limp. Lifting her from the floor where he had restrained her, he carried her to the next room and, carefully, placed her on the table as he began preparing for the procedure.

Matt couldn't help but glance at Lucas in concern as he drove at break neck speed down the highway, heading away from Trinity as he demanded;

"Do you really think that Landrum would actually try to perform an abortion on Dara?"

Sparing him a quick glance filled with cynicism, Lucas turned back to the road as his face remained grim before returning the man's question with on of his own in an acidic tone;

"Don't you?"

Shrugging, Matt admitted;

"I really don't know, but, given all the enemies that you have, why are you so sure that Landrum is the one who has her?"

Leaning forward from the back seat, Ben interjected;

"Look, Matt, if you had seen his bedroom, you wouldn't even ask that. He's been obsessed with her for ten years and, obviously, he's been stalking her. Not to mention, we found a copy of her medical file and her appointment book, locked in a drawer in his office, with more photos, no less. I'm like Lucas, why else would he have taken the equipment that he did?"

Matt couldn't deny the logic, especially given his own first hand knowledge of Landrum's behavior where Dara was concerned. Finally, he nodded;

"Alright, but the question now is, WHERE did he take her?"

Studying the road, Lucas stated grimly;

"I think I may know."

Turning off the main road onto a dirt path, Lucas brought the car to a halt before advising them;

"We'll have to walk the rest of the way in, it isn't far."

Hiking the short distance in the woods until they came upon a small cabin, Lucas held his hand up to indicate silence before glancing to the other two men to ask;

"Do you hear that?"

Nodding, they listened to the muffled sound of what, they realized was small motor running, like that of a generator. Glancing to Matt, Lucas demanded;

That machine does require electricity to make it work, right?"

Seeing Matt's nod of agreement, Lucas turned to Ben;

"I want you to circle around back and I'll take the front."

Turning to Matt he advised;

"You make sure that you stay behind me and out of the way."

Certain that Ben was in position and that Matt was in a safe place at the side of the building, Lucas kicked the door in and found himself face to face with Landrum, who was standing over an unconscious Dara. Feeling the rage welling inside of himself as he saw the man grab a gun from his waistband and threaten;

"Give it up, Buck! You've lost her, she's mine now. So you have a choice, she can either be divorced or a widow."

Lucas narrowed his gaze at the man and focused his energy on the gun to send it flying across the floor before challenging;

"I'm not in the habit of giving up what's mine, and whether you like it or not, she belongs to me."

Although his eyes widened in fear, Landrum's determination was much stronger than his fear as evidenced when he quickly pulled another hypodermic needle from under the table before grabbing Dara's arm and threatening;

"There's enough in this one needle to overdose, considering that she's already had one injection this will definitely kill her. If I can't have her, no one can."

Focusing his gaze on the needle, Lucas moved his head to send it flying across the floor. Seeing the fear in Landrum's face, he wasn't shocked when the man turned to flee, but, having been startled by Matt and Ben's entrance, he failed to notice the pile of power cords and found his feet entangled in them, sending him to land on the floor as well as the hypodermic needle. He was so intent on struggling, he managed to depress the plunger on the needle to inject himself with the needle's contents. Matt rushed over to turn the man on his back and placed his finger's against his neck before turning and shaking his head;

"He's dead."

Turning to Ben, Lucas ordered;

"Go radio this in."

As Ben hurried out the door, Matt began checking the equipment as Lucas approached the table to gather his wife to him. Breathing a sigh of relief, Matt determined;

"We got here in time, did didn't use this."

Searching the table Matt found a vial and shook his head in disbelief;

"No wonder he's dead, if what was in that needle is what is in here, he shot himself up with a massive dose of Valium."

The concern evident in his eyes, Lucas asked;

"Is that what he gave her?"

Nodding, Matt confirmed;

"That would be my guess and as small as she is, it wouldn't take much to knock her out."

Turning his attention back to his wife, Lucas placed his hand against her cheek to turn her face, when he saw the other side, he sucked in a sharp breath as he stated in hatred;

"That bastard better be glad that he's dead."

Looking up from checking her pulse, Matt could see what Lucas was referring to; the right side of Dara's face was swollen and severely bruised, as well as her lower lip being split and covered with dried blood. Gently, he pushed her sleeve up slightly and could see that her arms were also severely bruised. Placing his hand gently on her cheek as he placed his thumb on her jaw, Lucas turned her head form side to side as he pleaded;

"Dara, baby, come on and wake up, darlin. Honey, it's over, please wake up. Baby, open your eyes and look at me."

Although she was trying hard to fight her way towards the sound of the familiar voice that she had prayed to hear again, Dara wasn't certain as to whether or not she was dreaming, that being the case she wasn't certain that she even wanted to open her eyes. Since the beginning of this nightmare, she had dreamed and prayed that, whenever, she awoke she would find her husband there, but so far, that desire hadn't been fulfilled. Trying desperately hard to fight her way through the haze of drugs, she tried to orient herself without much success. Knowing whom she would find standing over her, she began regaining consciousness, fighting.

Lucas turned to Matt in concern as he asked;

"You don't think that he gave her an overdose, do you?"

Shaking his head, Matt offered;

"No, her pulse and her heartbeat are too strong. Look, she's starting to come around."

Staring down into her face, Lucas hear her slight whimpering as well as beginning to stir slightly. Placing his hand on her cheek, he found himself shocked as her eyes flew open and she began screaming in panic as she flailed her arms, trying to strike out at her unseen demons;

"LEAVE ME ALONE, GET AWAY FROM ME!"

Pulling her close to him, Lucas caught her wrist in his hand to hold it gently, yet firmly, as he reasoned with her;

"Dara, come on, baby, calm down. "It's me, Landrum's not here, he can't hurt you anymore, it's over."

Pushing her away from him slightly as he locked eyes with her, in ordered sternly,

"Dara, look at me, honey, it's me, not Landrum."

Looking at him in uncertainty, frightened that her mind wasn't playing tricks on her, she ceased moving to ease her hand from his grasp before timidly reaching up and touching his face, trying to determine if she was dreaming or not. Gently, Lucas took her hand and brought it to his lips as he vowed;

"It's really me, I swear."

Realizing that she wasn't dreaming or hallucinating, Dara began sobbing with relief;

"I almost gave up hope."

Glancing over and noticing the equipment that Landrum had placed nearby, she turned to Lucas, the panic and horror evident in her eyes. Seeing her rising hysteria, he shook his head;

"Darlin, it's alright, you're still pregnant, we stopped him in time."

Burying her face against his chest, Dara continued sobbing in relief as she held onto her husband tightly as Ben came in and motioned to Landrum's body before advising Lucas quietly;

"The coroner is on his way."

Glancing at the machine, Ben asked timidly;

"Is she still, you know?"

Matt nodded his affirmation of Ben's question as he continued examining Dara. Sighing with relief, Ben glanced at the body on the floor as he suggested to Lucas;

"Don't you think that we should get her to the hospital?"

Understanding Ben's concern, Lucas nodded as he lifted Dara in his arms and made his way to the door, careful to shield her from the sight of the dead body on the floor. As they made their way to the car, Floyd arrived, followed closely by the coroner. Motioning to the cabin, Lucas left Ben to explain the details as he continued to the car. Dara refused to release her hold on him as he attempted to settle her inside the car, turning to Matt imploringly, Lucas advised;

"You'll have to drive."

Nodding, Matt offered;

"Alright, let's take her to the hospital so that I can examine her and make sure she's okay."

The tears still streaming down her face, Dara glanced up as she begged;

"Please, just take me home. I don't want to go to the hospital."

Having settled her in his lap, Lucas placed his finger under her chin to lift her eyes up to his as she offered softly;

"Honey, we need to get you checked out and we need to make sure that there isn't any kind of damage to you or the baby."

Shaking her head, she muttered so quietly that Lucas had to ask her to repeat her statement. Swallowing hard, Dara repeated;

"He didn't rape me, he said that he wouldn't touch me until after had...had."

Covering her face with her hands she began crying again. Glancing to Lucas as he studied Dara's reaction, Matt offered quietly;

"I don't see any indications that there's a problem with the baby and, quite frankly, I think that the hospital isn't exactly the best idea at the moment. I think what she really needs is some rest and a chance to get this behind her."

Understanding his unspoken statement, Lucas nodded;

"Just take us home and I'll put her to bed."

Throwing the door open when they heard the car pull up, Lucilla and Caleb sighed in relief when they saw Dara held tightly in Lucas' arms. Realizing that both were about to start asking questions, Lucas shook his head as he made his way up the staircase to their bedroom. Once behind their bedroom door, he had attempted to lay her on the bed so that he could search for a gown and make her more comfortable, but Dara refused to relax her grip as she begged;

"Please, just hold me, don't leave me."

Sitting on the side of their bed, he continued holding her as he rocked her back and forth, trying to comfort her. Finally, sensing that she was a bit more calm, he held her away a bit to inquire softly;

"A little better now?"

At her silent nod, he asked;

"Would a nice hot bath help?"

His heart felt heavy as he noticed the fear in her eyes before she pleaded;

"Will you please stay with me?"

Holding her close, Lucas vowed;

"Yes, I promise that I won't leave you. But let me go and run some water and get something for that bruise."

Gently touching the discolored area on her face as he shifted her from his lap and made his way to the bathroom to begin the water running into the tub for her. Once he was satisfied that there was enough in the tub, he made his way back to the bedroom to help her undress. Pulling her to her feet, he began unfastening her dress, undressing her as though she were a small child. When he pushed the dress off of her shoulders and saw the bruises marring her shoulders and arms where she had been grabbed much too roughly, he felt his anger flare anew at the gall that Landrum had possessed to abuse her in such a manner, however, he also felt regret for his failure to protect her from what she had suffered. Lucas pulled her closer to embrace her when he felt her flinch as his hand touched her back. Looking down into her eyes he read several things in them at once; sorrow, shame, embarrassment and pain. Turning her around, Lucas couldn't help but swear aloud;

"WHAT THE HELL!"

Her back was covered with, not only bruises, but also welts, some of which looked at though there were on the verge of bleeding. She didn't seem to have an inch of flesh on her back that wasn't either covered with a bruise or a welt. Turning her around to face him, Lucas placed his hands on her lower arms, careful of the bruises there as well, before bending to look into her eyes as he asked softly;

"Dara, what the hell did that monster do to you."

Lowering her head, he could see that she was reluctant to disclose what had taken place. Placing his finger under her chin to lift her eyes up to meet his, Lucas promised;

"Darlin, I swear that I don't blame you for this, it's not your fault. Whatever it is, I won't be angry with you, I promise. But I want to know what happened."

Lucas could see the tears beginning to slide down her cheeks, unchecked, as she explained;

"He said that he wanted me but that he didn't want the baby and that he wasn't going to wait seven months to take me. He told me that he was planning on performing an abortion and I told him that he was an insane monster. It must have hit a very sensitive nerve with him, that's when he did this. I curled up in a ball to keep him from hitting me in the stomach, I think that made him even angrier, I don't know what he made the welts with, I didn't care by then."

Careful of her fragile state, Lucas pulled her closer to him as he pleaded;

"Baby, I'm so sorry. God, you have no idea how sorry I am."

Pulling back, Dara shook her head;

"It's not your fault, and we didn't know that he would go this far. Lucas, I don't want you to feel guilty because it's not either of our faults."

With that she offered a sad smile as she pleaded;

"Could you please help me take a bath? And please, burn these clothes, I don't want to be reminded of this or of his hands on me."

Nodding, Lucas helped her to the tub to, carefully, help her scrub her back, careful of the damage that had been done to her flesh. Once he had helped her to wash her hair and get out of the tub, he started to help her dry off when he realized aloud;

"Darlin, we need to let Mama look at this and put something on it, alright?"

Nodding, Dara agreed;

"Anything, just so long as I don't have to go to the hospital."

Once he had helped her to dry off, Lucas settled her on the bed as he made his way downstairs to find Matt waiting for word. Offering his hand, grateful for the man's help he offered;

"Thank you, Harvard. I appreciate everything that you've done for her."

Nodding, Matt advised;

"Anything that I can do to help her, just let me know. I do want to see her in a couple of days though so we can run a couple of test and do an ultrasound. But, I do think that it would be a good idea if she took some time away form the hospital."

Agreeing, Lucas admitted;

"I was just thinking that myself."

Turning to find Caleb standing in the doorway, he sought to relieve the boy's worries;

"I know that you're worried, but she'll be fine and the baby seems to be okay too. As soon as she's settled you can go see her and I know that tomorrow's a school day, but, under the circumstances you can skip if you like."

Nodding, Caleb made his way back to the living room as Matt left. Turning to his grandmother, Lucas explained;

"Mama, I need you to come with me."

Leading the way up the staircase, he explained Dara's condition before opening the door. Entering the room, Lucilla sat next to Dara, who was lying face down on the bed with a sheet covering her, to pulled the sheet back to examine the girl's back. Seeing the damage, her eyes widened in shocked horror as she demanded;

"Good God child, what did that monster do to you?"

Noticing her grandson shaking his head vehemently, she simply patted Dara's shoulder as she offered;

"It's alright, sweetie, we'll have you fixed up in a hurry."

Motioning for Lucas to follow her, she made her way to her room to gather what she felt she would need to tend to Dara's wounds. Glancing over her shoulder as she was gathering the items, she asked quietly;

"Is that what that man did to her?"

Nodding, Lucas added grimly;

"Among trying to do other things."

Shaking her head, Lucilla told him;

"You don't need to tell me anymore, Dr. Matt told me everything."

Retracing her steps back to their bedroom, Lucilla turned to her grandson;

"Lucas, go get a couple of towels, a wash cloth and some peroxide."

Turning to Dara, Lucilla pushed her long hair away from her face as she asked tenderly;

"Honey, do you think that you could sit up for me?"

Nodding, Dara maneuvered to a sitting position, albeit with difficulty, holding the sheet to her chest, leaving her back exposed as Lucilla took a basin and poured the peroxide in it before leaning forward to advise;

"I'm sorry, Dara, but this will sting. But, we need to make sure that these welts don't get infected and we need to clean the places that are open."

Nodding, Dara advised;

"Do whatever you have to, Mama. I understand."

Dipping a cloth into the basin, Lucilla gently squeezed the liquid onto one of the open welts. Seeing her eyes widen and noticing how she clenched her jaw tightly to avoid yelling from the pain, Lucas took her hand for support. He couldn't help the look of concern and sorrow for the pain she was enduring from crossing his face, especially when his grandmother offered a sigh of sympathy as she explained;

"I'm sorry, hon, but you've got a little infection back here, so it's going to sting."

Finally, she took a towel and began patting Dara's back as she offered;

"There, I think that it's all gone now, I'm going to put a little ointment on these places. There isn't much that I can do for the bruises though, I'm sorry."

Allowing the breath that she had been holding to escape her tightly clenched lips, Dara's face relaxed in relief as Lucilla began clearing away the debris as she instructed;

"I know that it's not your habit, but you don't need to wear a gown tonight and try to sleep on your side of your stomach so that the air can get at those places."

Nodding, Dara reached out to grasp the old woman's hand as she offered her gratitude;

"Thank you, Mama Lucy."

Nodding as she patted the girl's hand in response, she hurried from the room, unaccustomed to being shown appreciation. Leaving her grandson to take over his wife's care, Lucilla pulled the door closed behind her and, once she was sure that she was out of earshot, she muttered;

"Thank you Lord for letting him find her in time."

Although he had tried to persuade her to go to bed so that she could rest, Lucas found that he couldn't deny her request to find her a loose robe to wear, especially given that she wanted to see their children after not having been able to do so for the past two days. He couldn't help but find himself somewhat amazed, despite his knowledge, by the fact that both children opened their eyes as as Dara approached their cribs, knowing instinctively that their mother was near. Settling herself in the rocking chair, she waited as Lucas placed, first Riesa, then Alex in her waiting arms. Hugging them close to her, she began crying. Concerned, Lucas was about to take the children form her when she shook her head as she held them closer;

"It's not what you think; these are tears of joy, I just realized how close I almost came to never being able to see our children again."

Placing his hand on her cheek, Lucas gazed into her eyes as he should his head determinedly before vowing;

"THAT would never have happened. I would have searched past the gates of Hell if I had to, I wouldn't have stopped until I found you."

Offering him a loving smile as he wiped her tears away, Dara nodded;

"I know, in my heart I knew that you wouldn't stop until you had found me and I thank God that it was in time."

It became obvious that, once both babies were satisfied that their mother was with them once more, they seemed content to simply play in their cribs until they fell asleep for the night. Carefully, finding that she was growing stiff and sore, Dara made her way downstairs to find Caleb watching TV in the living room. Standing in the doorway, she asked;

"Is there a chance that I could have a hug?"

Turning at the sound of her voice, Caleb quickly bolted out of his chair to wrap his arms around her tightly before pulling back slightly to offer her a smile, until he noticed the bruises on her face. His smile fading, he asked softly;

"Are you okay?"

Cupping his face in her hands as she offered him a loving smile, she nodded;

"I am now that I'm home with my family."

The corners of his mouth turning up in a grin, Caleb offered;

"I'm glad, I sure hated the idea of losing a mama now that I finally got one."

Despite the pain in her back, Dara held him close to her before he rand back to the living room muttering about missing his movie, clearly embarrassed by his show of emotions. Dara turned to Lucas who was shaking his head in amazement of his son's behavior, shrugging, she made her way to the kitchen to find herself receiving Mama Lucy's stern admonishment;

"Girl, you and that baby need your rest, you should be in bed."

Shaking her head adamantly, Dara stood her ground;

"Mama, the last thing that I want right now is to sleep. I want to enjoy being home and safe with my family."

Placing her hands on her hips stubbornly, Lucilla heaved a sigh of frustration. However, seeing the look of determination on the girl's face, she quickly realized that she wasn't going to win her argument. Finally, giving in to her granddaughter in law, she demanded;

"When was the last time that you ate, child?"

Realizing that she hadn't eaten since her lunch the day before, she admitted;

"I ate a little something for lunch yesterday, I didn't realize it until you said something, but I'm hungry."

Turning to the stove, Lucilla quickly filled a bowl with the stew that she had prepared to sit it before Dara while Lucas poured her a large glass of milk. Placing it on the table in front of her, he issued sternly;

"I want you to eat every bite of that stew and drink every drop of that milk, darlin. You're little enough as it is, I don't want you wasting away."

Shaking her head at his statement, she began eating and found that she was more hungry than she had thought possible. Finally, when her bowl was empty, Lucilla looked at her in astonishment of how quickly she had finished her meal. Taking the empty dish, she offered;

"If you're still hungry I'll get you some more."

Shaking her head, Dara finished the last of her milk before explaining;

"Thank you, Mama, but I'm full. But could I have a little more milk?"

Nodding, Lucilla took the glass and was filling it for her when they heard the front doorbell ring. Running to open the door, Caleb shouted form the hallway;

"It's just Ben."

Ben entered the kitchen, sheepishly holding his hat in his hands before asking;

"How are you feeling, Dara?"

Motioning to a chair, Lucas offered;

"Have a seat, Ben, have a cup of coffee."

Lucilla placed a cup in front of Ben as she handed Dara her milk as Dara shrugged;

"I'm a little sore, Ben, but VERY happy to be home."

Lucas could tell as Ben had entered the kitchen that, although he was concerned about Dara, that wasn't the main reason for his visit. Pinning him with his eyes, Lucas observed;

"Alright, Ben, what gives? You didn't come by just so you could see how Dara's doing, did you?"

Knowing that there was no use in trying to deny Lucas' assumption for his visit, Ben shook his head as he confessed;

"I really hate to do this, but I have to ask Dara some questions so that I can finish up the paperwork."

Shaking his head in disbelief, Lucas stated angrily;

"Ben, we know what happened. I'm not going to let you put her through this again, let her forget it, she's been through more than enough."

His temper rising at the idea of subjecting her to anything more, Lucas turned when he felt Dara gently touch his arm. Turning, he found her looking at him, pleading in her eyes as she shook her head;

"Honey, it's alright; I know that you and Ben have a job to do. Let him ask his questions so that we can get all of this behind us that much faster, I don't want this lingering over our heads, I want it over with."

Placing his hand over hers, Lucas searched her face as he asked quietly;

"Darlin, are you sure?"

Taking a deep breath as she shook her head, she smiled ruefully as she admitted;

"No, I'm not, but avoiding it won't make it better either, so I might as well deal with it. I just don't want to have to relive this over and over again."

The look on her face showing her true concern, she asked in trepidation;

"Will there be any sort of a trial?"

Ben wasn't shocked that Dara wouldn't remember everything that had taken place when she had been found, but, he had assumed that Lucas would have told her about Landrum's fate, glancing towards Lucas expectantly, he wasn't shocked as he turned to Dara;

"Darlin, there's not going to be a trial. Landrum accidentally injected himself with an overdose of Valium; he's dead."

Dara sat, stunned momentarily, although she was saddened by the loss of a human life, she couldn't deny that she found herself relieved by the fact that she would no longer have to worry about the threat the man might possess to her or her family. Finally, nodding in quiet acceptance she demanded;

"What do you want to ask me, Ben?"

Taking out his notebook, Ben began flipping through the pages before beginning;

"When we searched his apartment and his office we realized just how obsessed with you he was. I did some checking and we know that he was one of your teachers in your Psych class, did you know who he was?"

Shaking her head, Dara explained;

"I thought that he reminded me of someone that I knew a long time ago, but, since I didn't recognize the name, I just dismissed it. To be honest with you, Ben, I didn't pay that much attention to him, even ten years ago, I only remember trying to avoid him for the time that he was there. But a large part of the reason I dismissed it was because, when Mama found out that I was having problems with him, she had a long talk with Granddaddy and, well let's just say that we were certain that after Granddaddy had his 'discussion' with the man, once he finished his term as student teacher, I would never have to worry about seeing him again. I never realized just who he was until after he had abducted me and taunted me with having been my teacher, then it dawned on me, just EXACTLY who he was."

Curiosity filling his eyes, Ben questioned;

"Dara, not that this is really relevant, but we saw your yearbook and couldn't help but see what he wrote in it."

Crossing her arms defensively over her chest, she demanded in a sarcastic tone;

"Did you also happen to notice how I tried to erase what he wrote?

Biting at her bottom lip, Dara offered;

"I'm sorry, Ben, but I don't like being made to feel as if I'm one of those women who 'asked for what they got.' Look, when we got our yearbooks that day, they would get passed around to be signed. I wanted my regular Psychology teacher, Mrs. Barber to sign my book, she told me to leave it on the desk. However, he took it upon himself to sign it after she did. I didn't even know about it until I got home from school that afternoon, that was why Mama and Granddaddy got so concerned, because I showed it to them."

Holding his hands up in apology, Ben shook his head;

"Dara, I swear I didn't mean it to sound that way. Believe me, we know that he had all of this pre-planned; we found a copy of your appointment book in his office, plus your medical file. That's how he knew that you're pregnant; by the way, how DID he get you into his car?"

Sighing as she raised her head in frustration with herself, Dara admitted;

"My stupidity; I ran out of gas and it was so hot, plus I was nauseous and I knew that I couldn't walk a mile in the heat, although I was going to try. He pulled up and explained that he had re-booked to a later flight for Atlanta; I almost didn't fall for it but he told me that he knew that I was pregnant and that I didn't need to walk in the heat. Like an idiot, when he apologized for his past behavior I believed him and agreed to let him drop me off at the center. When he missed the turn and I said something to him about it, he pulled over, like he was going to run around and before I knew what he was doing, he snatched my arm and gave me an injection. The next thing that I remembered was waking up on a cot in that cabin."

Nodding, Ben explained;

"We found out that he rigged your car to run out of gas, he punched holed in the fuel line and by the way, Ted said that he'd have it ready for you in a couple of days. When we searched the cabin and logged everything, it wasn't hard to see that he had been planning this for a while given everything he had furnished that cabin with. Oh, by the way..."

With that he reached into his hip pocket to pull out a small plastic bag marked; EVIDENCE to hand her as he offered;

"I thought that you might appreciate getting these back."

Sliding the bag across the table, both Dara and Lucas stared at him in puzzlement as Dara took the bag and ripped it open to pour the contents into the palm of her hand, her eyes brightening as she exclaimed;

"MY WEDDING RINGS!"

Shaking her head she turned to Lucas to apologize;

"Honey, I'm sorry, I didn't even realize that they were missing until now. I guess that, when I was unconscious, he must have taken them from me."

Reaching across the table, Lucas took the rings from her open hand before taking her hand in his to slide her rings back where they belonged as he offered;

"Darlin, you have nothing to apologize for and given what he did and tried to do, I'm pretty sure that I can overlook you're not noticing. Besides they're back where they belong and, as long as I have anything to do with it, no one else will ever take them from you again."

Turning to Ben, she placed her hand over his as she offered;

"Ben, thank you so much for bringing my wedding rings."

Turning to her husband, he stated in disbelief;

"I can't believe that he kept up with me for ten years; I had no idea."

Grabbing her hand, he offered;

"Darlin, don't blame yourself, I underestimated him too. I didn't think that he would go this far either, although when you disappeared I knew that he was the one who did it."

Dara couldn't help but shiver slightly as she recalled Landrum's declarations of devotion and his certainty that she would return those same feelings as she explained;

"He thought that he had it all figured out, despite the fact that I kept telling him that I wouldn't ever want him. Even when I told him that, if he went through with aborting the baby, I would take every chance possible to kill him, he was STILL convinced that I would change my mind."

Shaking his head sadly for what she had been through, Ben closed the notebook before offering quietly;

"Dara, I'm sorry to put you through this but I wanted to put all of this to bed so that we'd be done with it and so that you could get it behind you. I've got everything I need so I can wrap up the report."

Turning to Lucas he advised;

"I'll just need you sign off on the report, the coroner confirmed that he overdosed on Valium and he signed off on it."

Nodding, Lucas advised;

"I'll sign off on them tomorrow."

Hearing the sound of the twins cries upstairs, Dara rose from her chair as Ben did the same as he prepared to leave. Passing by him, Dara placed her hand on his arm as she offered a slight smile before offering;

"Ben, please don't feel bad about having to ask me those questions. I know that you have a job to do and I understand, I promise."

With that, he watched as she headed up the hallway towards the staircase to see to the babies' needs. Turning to Lucas, Ben shook his head in amazement;

"You know something, Lucas? The fact that she's been through what she has and still has such a sweet disposition, she's one in a million."

Shaking his head, Lucas corrected;

"Wrong, Ben; she's one of a kind. Believe me, there's not another woman in the world like my wife, that's why I'm definitely a lucky man."

After he saw Ben to the door, Lucas made certain it was secured before hurrying up the staircase to join Dara in the nursery to help her finish with tending to their children's needs for the night. Once she was certain that the twins were sound asleep, Dara decided that she needed to spend some quality time with Caleb, leaning over the stair rail, she called to Caleb. When he appeared at the bottom of the stairs, she suggested;

"Would you like to pick a movie and watch it up here with me? I don't think that I can handle those stairs again tonight."

She couldn't help but chuckle as the boy nodded eagerly before dashing off to the living room before returning to hurry up the staircase, all in less than a sixty seconds as he breathlessly thrust a movie case in her hands. Glancing at the title, she shrugged;

"Urban Legend, huh; well, why not? Go ahead, put it in."

Hurrying into the room, he opened the armoire in the corner that was used as an entertainment center to set everything up. Once he was certain that everything was situated, he hurried back to plop on the bed next to Dara, who had made herself comfortable, to prop up on several pillows. Caleb was content to simply sit next to her and enjoy her company as they watched the movie together, he wasn't surprised by the fact that his father appeared in the doorway just as the credits to the movie began rolling to ask;

"Is the movie over with?"

Nodding, Caleb brought his finger to his lips to indicate silence as he motioned towards Dara, whispering quietly;

"She fell asleep about half way through it, she missed some of the scary parts."

Chuckling over his son's worry, Lucas offered;

"Well, you can stay up and watch a little more TV if you want or go to bed, just don't say up too late."

Although Lucas knew that Caleb loved Dara dearly, he found himself stunned when the boy leaved over to place a kiss on his stepmother's cheek. A look of disbelief showing in his eyes, Lucas demanded;

"What was that for?"

Staring at his father strangely, Caleb shrugged;

"Well ain't that what you're supposed to do; kiss your mama goodnight?"

Shocked by the boy's answer, Lucas nodded;

"Yeah, it's just that I didn't realize that you considered her your mama."

Offering his father a hopeful look, Caleb ventured;

"I'd like to, do you think that she would mind?"

Shaking his head, he offered the boy an affectionate smile as he ruffled the boy's hair when he approached him;

"No, I don't think she'd mind one bit, in fact, I think that she would be really happy about it. Especially since she thinks of you as her son."

Noting the look of happiness on the boy's face, Lucas bid him goodnight before ushering him out of the room. Once the door was closed, he crossed to Dara's side of the bed to reposition her so that she would be more comfortable as he removed her robe, remembering his grandmother's earlier advice. After he was satisfied that she would be more comfortable, he undressed to take his place in bed beside her. Making sure that he was careful of her back, he gently pulled her close to him before placing a kiss on her cheek, grateful to have her in his arms again.

Dara found herself running, trying desperately hard to get away from him again. She could tell that he was close on her heels, holding a scalpel as he yelled obscenities at her, she felt the hope brimming inside of her when she saw the door. However, her hope soon turned to terror as she tripped and fell, realizing that her chance for escape may well have just disappeared. Desperate, she began crawling towards the door, refusing to admit defeat, however, she knew that hope had completely fled when she felt his hand on her shoulder, digging into her flesh as he turned her over onto her back. Seeing the frenzied look of psychotic insanity in the man's eyes as well as the light gleaming off of the scalpel, Dara felt horror flooding her as he brought the scalpel down to bury it in her stomach as she began screaming.

Lucas found himself shocked from sleep as his wife sat bolt upright in bed, screaming for all that she was worth. Quickly, he grabbed her to him as he began shaking her a little to wake her as he begged;

"Dara, wake up, it's just a nightmare, darlin. I promise, it isn't real; he can't hurt you, baby, wake up."

He couldn't help but feel pain tearing at his heart when she opened her eyes to look into his and he could see the look of panic and confusion as well as the terror in their depths before recognition and relief slowly came to the surface. Lucas wasn't shocked when she buried her face in her hands before she began sobbing. Hearing footsteps approaching their door, Lucas quickly pulled the covers over Dara before Lucilla and Caleb tentatively opened the door. Seeing her being held by Lucas as she sobbed, Lucilla motioned towards Dara as she asked worriedly;

"Did she have a nightmare."

Worry filling his young face, Caleb demanded;

"Is she alright?"

Nodding as he held her and stroked her hair in an attempt to comfort her, Lucas vowed;

"She will be when she gets this all behind her."

Before he could say anything else, the sound of the twins beginning to cry, having been woken by their mother's scream, could be heard. Glancing to his grandmother hopefully, Lucas nodded his gratitude when she offered;

"You just take care of her, Caleb and I will take care of the babies."

After Lucilla and Caleb had closed the door and the sound of the twins crying had quieted, Lucas sat holding Dara a while longer. When she had quieted somewhat, he pulled away from her a little to study her face as he asked tenderly;

"Do you feel a little better now?"

The embarrassment showing in her eyes, Dara lowered her head as she bit at her bottom lip. Placing his finger under her chin, Lucas gently lifted her eyes to his as he stated emphatically;

"You have nothing to be embarrassed about, you've just been through hell and it's normal for you to have a nightmare. You have no reason to feel ashamed after what you've been through; understand?"

Nodding, Dara gave in to her inner battle as she simply laid her head against his chest and let her tears fall unchecked as Lucas held her. Once she got her tears under control, he offered softly;

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

Lifting her eyes up to meet his, she swallowed hard at the memory of the terror she felt as she began;

"I was trying to run, to get away from him, but the more that I ran the farther away the door got and he was right behind me, holding a scalpel. I thought that I was going to get away when I tripped, but I couldn't get up and he caught me. When he turned me over he buried the scalpel in my stomach."

Lucas wasn't shocked when her tears began flowing once more as he pulled her close and vowed;

"Darlin, go ahead and let it out, you didn't deserve what happened to you. I promise you that I'm not going to give anyone else the chance to ever hurt you again, I'm right here and that will never change."

Looking into his eyes, Dara nodded as she placed her hand on his cheek before sighing;

"I know, I trust you and I love you, more than I ever thought possible to love anyone."

Careful of her injured mouth, Lucas kissed her tenderly before pushing her hair over her shoulder as he replied;

"I love you, too, more than you could ever imagine."

Seeing that she had calmed considerably, he switched the light off before settling her against him. Lucas fought off sleep until he was sure that she was finally truly resting.

Lucas' hope was that, once she realized that she was at home and safe, Dara would stop suffering from the nightmares that she had experienced the night she was rescued. However, after a week of the same routine of Dara waking up, screaming, he knew that there was more to his wife's nightmares than just her memories of what she had suffered at Landrum's hands. He realized that something was going to have to be done to help her, and soon, since it had come to a point where she had begun to avoid sleep altogether, something that was detrimental to both she and their unborn child.

The final straw came for Lucas when he woke to find her, once more, absent from their bed. Glancing at the clock on his bedside table and seeing the glowing red lines indicating 1:25 a.m. Lucas couldn't refrain from swearing in exasperation of the situation;

"Damn!"

Snatching his jeans from the chair where he had laid them, Lucas slipped them on. Checking on the twins, making certain that they were still sleeping, he made his way downstairs and was able to easily locate his wife, thanks to the glow from the TV in the living room. Entering the room, he found her curled up in her rocking chair, watching some old movie. Approaching her chair, he lowered himself to sit on his heels to study her darkly shadowed eyes before observing;

"Honey, it's one thirty in the morning, don't you think that you should get some rest?"

Turning to offer him a cursory glance, she responded automatically;

"I'm not sleepy."

Finding his patience at an end with her stubbornness, Lucas nodded towards her appearance as he demanded;

"Oh really! I take it then that the gray circles around your eyes is just eyeshadow then?"

Shocked by his outburst, Dara turned to him in surprise as she shrugged;

"I haven't been sleeping very well."

Shaking his head, Lucas stated emphatically;

"No, darlin, you haven't been sleeping period."

Dara closed her eyes momentarily in agitation before venting;

"Fine, you win! I can't sleep, alright? Every time that I close my eyes, he's there with that damned scalpel, I can't stand it anymore. As sick as I was of seeing him when he was alive, at least I could avoid him; but how do I do that when he's managed to take up residence in the back of my mind and I can't get him out? I'm beginning to think he's more of a threat now that he's dead then what he was when he was alive."

Seeing the sorrow and helplessness she felt reflected in her eyes, Lucas found himself instantly sorry for his own loss of patience as he offered;

"Baby, he's dead, he can't hurt you ever again."

Sadly, Dara pleaded;

"Don't you think that I know that? I keep telling myself that, but every time that I close my eyes, he's there with that scalpel. Do you really think that I like this? I feel like a zombie anymore; like I'm functioning on autopilot. I know that it's bad for the baby, not to mention the fact that our children are suffering because I'm not there for them like I need to be and you're suffering for the same reason. I try to sleep, but he's always there."

Feeling the pain tearing at his heart for what she was suffering, Lucas put his arms around her before tilting her face so that her eyes met his; searching their depths, he could see the fear, exhaustion, worry and sadness in her eyes. Knowing that if she was to ever find peace he was going to have to help her the only way that he knew how, Lucas suggested;

"Darlin, listen to me; alright? Let me help you."

He could see a flicker of shock cross her face as she demanded;

"How?"

Although he had noted the skepticism in her voice, he could also hear a twinge of hope as well in her voice. Taking a deep breath, he asked;

"Do you trust me?"

Nodding, Dara questioned;

"Yes, but why?"

Shaking his head, Lucas stated firmly;

"No questions, honey, just trust me; okay?"

Taking a steadying breath, Dara nodded as she agreed;

"Alright."

Rising, Lucas pulled her from her chair to lead her to the sofa as he motioned for her to lay down and make herself comfortable before sitting on the edge next to her as he asked;

"Are you comfortable?"

Dara nodded slowly;

"Yes, what do you want me to do?"

Holding his hands out to her, palm up, Lucas instructed;

"Give me your hands and just relax, I'll do the rest."

Although he could see the uncertainty in her eyes, he wasn't surprised when she finally sighed in resignation as she placed her hands in his. He could tell that, once he had closed his hands around hers' that she seemed to exude a sense of instant security, something that seemed to find a wave of relaxation washing over her. Studying her face, Lucas asked;

"Are you feeling better?"

At her silent nod of affirmation, Lucas ordered;

"Good, now look at me."

Dara couldn't help but feel herself being drawn into her husband's gaze as she looked into his eyes. Instinctively, she began to fight the sensation as Lucas tightened his grip on her hands before stating;

"No, darlin, don't fight me, just go with it. I promise, it'll be alright."

Believing his words, Dara let go of her resistance and allowed herself to fall further under his influence. Feeling as though she was floating in no particular direction, she finally became aware of her surroundings when she realized that she was back in the room of her nightmares. Panic rising in her, she pleaded;

"Lucas, please, I don't want to be here."

At first, she couldn't see him, but she quickly realized that her husband was there beside her, holding her hand as he advised;

"It's alright, honey, I'm right here with you."

Turning her in the direction of the doorway, he offered;

"Now watch."

Dimly, Dara's subconscious realized that they were spectators as the door burst open and she found herself a witness to the events that had taken place when she had been rescued from Landrum, including the man's death. Turning to Lucas, she shook her head in confusion;

"I don't understand."

Motioning towards Landrum's body, Lucas explained;

"Now, you know that he's dead and that he can't ever hurt you again; not in life or in your dreams."

Placing his hand over her stomach, Lucas vowed;

"He doesn't hold any power over you or over our baby anymore; do you understand now?"

Realization dawning, Dara tuned and watched as Matt pronounced the man dead as she understood that he was truly no longer a threat, leaving her feeling liberated. Feeling herself being drawn back through the mist, she opened her eyes to look into her husband's as he asked;

"Do you feel better now?"

Looking into his eyes, she nodded as she offered;

"Thank you, I feel much better."

Dara didn't question what had just transpired between she and Lucas, she had long ago accepted the fact that she had married a man who possessed many strange and unusual abilities. Realizing that those abilities were a part of Lucas and a part of what made him who he was, she never questioned or cared to know about them; she simply accepted them. Despite her earlier issue with insomnia, Dara found herself yawning with fatigue as she ventured;

"I really do feel much better, and very tired."

Nodding his understanding, Lucas simply reached over to hit the power button on the TV remote before taking her in his arms and lifting her off the sofa to make his way upstairs. He couldn't help but shake his head in slight amusement as proof of his wife's statement was evident by the fact that she was sound asleep in his arms before he had even finished climbing the stairs.

Although she never referred to what had taken place between she and Lucas, Dara found herself infinitely grateful for her husband's abilities each time she closed her eyes and found herself able to rest without the burden of those nightmares.


	31. Chapter 31

**CHAPTER 31**

Dara had made the decision that, although she would miss her counseling, she wouldn't be renewing her contract with the hospital. Despite the opinion of many that the decision was motivated by her husband's insistence, the fact was that, after having thoroughly discussed it with Lucas, she had come to realize that, with four children, three of whom were in diapers, she needed to devote more of her time and attention to her family. However, she would remain very active with the outreach center, but for the most part she would be concentrating her attention on her family. Despite the fact that Lucas had always wished that his wife remain at home, he had also understood just how important her work was to her and never tried to sway her in her decision, worried that she would come to resent him for trying to deprive her of something so important to her. However, he couldn't deny the fact that he was thrilled that she had chosen, for herself, to remain at home with their children.

Lucilla had decided that, given Dara's advancing condition, she would remain as long as she was allowed. Despite the fact that Mrs. Carlton would miss seeing the twins and Caleb each day, she was eager for the opportunity of offer her free time to the outreach program, especially since the program was now up and running and in need of volunteers willing to help the troubled youth of Trinity. Dara found herself thrilled by the fact that she was able to entrust her brainchild to such competent hands as Mrs. Carlton, Matt, Selena and Loris, especially considering that it meant she would be able to devote time to her family, yet still have the ability to help guide the program that she had worked so diligently to bring to life.

Dara was finishing the last of the packing that she had to do in her office at the hospital as she found herself reflecting on the drastic turns that her life had taken in the, more than, two years since she had became a resident of Trinity. She couldn't help but find irony in the fact that the only course of action she had been intent upon was the care of her mother and enhancing her reputation as a counselor, however, that had been prior to Lucas' entrance into her life. Now, over two years since that fateful day, she was a wife with a husband and the type of marriage that she thought only possible in romance novels, and the mother of three, soon to be four, children. She found her thoughts interrupted as she heard a familiar voice venturing, half in jest, half in accusation;

"So you're really going to run out on us; huh?"

Looking up, she found Matt leaning against the door frame, a good natured grin in place, yet she could detect a note of sadness mixed with the attempt of levity. Shaking her head, Dara ordered as she corrected;

"Now, Matt, don't you start too, I'm not running out. I'm still going to be counseling at the center, but I need to be at home with my family. I have a twelve year old, two babies and one on the way."

Dara touched her swollen abdomen to punctuate her point as she continued;

"Besides Matt, I want to spend more time with my children and husband. I've got a lot to learn about Caleb, not to mention, you do realize that the twins are already eight months old? I want their first words to be, 'Mama', not 'Nanny'."

Matt couldn't deny that he and his wife had watched in wonderment over the past two years as the woman in front of him had worked miracles, that no one thought possible, in Trinity. Although it was apparent that he was still a cold, hard and dangerous man that people were still leery of, it was also apparent that Lucas Buck had acquired compassion and sympathy for others, something that he had never seemed to possess beforehand; a change that was attributed to his wife's presence and influence. Aside from the positive influence she possessed over her husband, it was also obvious the changes that she had brought to Caleb's life, something that Matt and Loris were grateful for, given the rough life that the boy had suffered. While he still spent the occasional night at their house, he had transitioned to living with Dara and Lucas as well as having begun referring to them as 'Mama' and 'Daddy'. Loris had openly admitted to feeling a little sorrow as if feeling like she had lost a child with the transition, however, she couldn't deny that she was thankful that the boy now had a stable family life; thanks to Dara.

Rationalizing to help lessen the impact of missing his friend, Matt offered;

"Well, at least I still get to see you. By the way, the administration asked me to let you know that your contract can always be picked back up if you ever change your mind."

Dara couldn't help but smile as she nodded; she couldn't deny that it felt good to know that she had done a good enough job that she was considered an asset. Before she could acknowledge Matt's statement, Lucas tapped on the open door to ask;

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Shaking her head, Dara explained;

"No, honey, Matt was just trying to talk me out of resigning."

Approaching her desk, Lucas shook his head vehemently as he turned to Matt;

"Sorry Harvard, there's not a chance unless she decides it's what she wants to do. She's going to be a full time wife and mother and I fully support that decision."

Shrugging, Matt ventured;

"I know, but I thought that I'd at least give it a try, besides I have a vested interest since conversations around here are going to be pretty boring without her around."

Approaching her, he gave her a brief hug before he reminded her;

"Don't forget, I'll see you next week for your ultrasound."

Turning, he headed out the door and up the hallway as Dara turned to Lucas to admit;

"Well, I can't say that it's not nice to be wanted, at least."

Wrapping his arms around her to pull her close to him, Lucas advised her;

"Darlin, you are most definitely that. I can promise you that."

Placing a kiss on her forehead, he released her to grab the box on her desk as he led the way to the car.

Once Dara and Caleb's birthday as well as Thanksgiving had passed, Dara began throwing herself into preparing for the Christmas holiday. Despite his past cynicism regarding the holiday, Lucas couldn't deny the fact that he now found enjoyment in the holiday, thanks to his wife's enthusiasm. As with their first Christmas together, the year before, he could see that she was giving her all to make sure that this year would be special, especially since it would be the twins' first Christmas as well as the fact that her sisters and their families would be celebrating the season with them. At first, Lucas had been reluctant for her family to visit, but, given what she had suffered during the first part of her pregnancy at Landrum's hands, he was determined that, anything that brought her happiness, he wouldn't deny her, thus the addition of her sisters for their Christmas celebration.

Having begun her preparations early to ensure that she would be able to accomplish everything that needed to be done, especially in her condition, and not wanting to spend the time in the stores as opposed to spending it with her family, Dara approached Caleb during breakfast one morning, regarding his wish list;

"Caleb, sweetie, do you know what you might like Santa to bring you for Christmas this year?"

Setting his plate in front of him, she found herself shocked by his answer, especially given the sadness that tore at her heart as he shook his head before stating in a sad and frustrated voice;

"Santa can't bring me the really big present that I REALLY want."

Lowering herself into a chair across form him, Dara noticed Lucas and Lucilla's rapt attention focused on Caleb as she placed her hand over his to ask softly;

"Caleb, honey, what is it that you REALLY want?"

Dara found that she had to brace herself for the sadness that she saw as Caleb locked eyes with her before stating;

"I want to be a REAL son."

Shaking her head, Dara offered;

"Caleb, you are a real son. I may not have given birth to you, but you are most definitely my son by the heart and that's what truly counts."

Shaking his head vehemently, Caleb glanced between his father and step mother;

"No I ain't, not like Alex is or like this baby will be, if it's a boy. I don't even have the same last name as the rest of you."

Having remained silent, Lucas finally spoke;

"Caleb, you know that we love you and that you ARE my son so you're a Buck. Dara may not be your natural mama by birth, but she is, most definitely, still your mama."

Stubbornly shaking his head, Caleb ventured;

"I know that she loves me like a real mama and I love her like she is my real mama, but it ain't legal."

Rising from his chair, he quickly grabbed his backpack before muttering over his shoulder;

"I gotta go."

Watching as he closed the back door behind him, Dara sighed heavily before turning to her husband, a look of expectation on her face, something that seemed contagious considering that Lucilla followed her lead. Glancing from his wife to his grandmother, Lucas demanded impatiently;

"Alright, what?"

Shaking her head, Dara remained silent as she sipped her tea, knowing that her actions would further irritate her husband. Finally, as she had expected, he asked tersely;

"Alright, what do you want me to do?"

Lowering her cup to the table as she lifted her head to lock eyes with him, she calmly observed;

"It would seem that the answer to THAT question should be obvious."

With that, she pushed herself up form her chair to cross over to the sink to load the dishwasher as Lucas turned to his grandmother to demand in an irritated voice;

"Well, what opinion would you like to give about the situation?"

Shrugging, Lucilla rose from her chair before replying;

"I think that you already know what I have to say. The final word about the subject seems to be yours."

Following Dara's example, she began collecting the plates from the table to be loaded into the dishwasher as well. Finding himself frustrated with both women's behavior, Lucas rose abruptly, shoving his chair roughly back from the table before turning to glare at both before declaring in an angry voice;

"Fine, I'll see you later."

Then, doing something that he had never done since his marriage, he left without kissing his wife. Seeing the stricken look on Dara's face, Lucilla patted her shoulder comfortingly as she offered;

"Don't let it worry you, child, he's just mad and he's blowing off a lot of steam; he'll get over it."

Giving a slight nod of her acceptance of the old woman's statement, Dara bit at her bottom lip in contemplation before turning towards Lucilla;

"You're right, Mama. Would you mind watching the twins for a little while, there's something that I need to do."

Lucilla, having guessed what the 'something' was by the look of determination on the girl's face, shook her head;

"No, you go on ahead, I don't mind."

Squaring her shoulders as she raised her head, Dara expressed her gratitude;

"Thank you, I think that, just maybe, that husband of mine needs a little push in the right direction."

Lucilla couldn't help but smile at the girl's determined stubbornness as she watched her make her way upstairs before muttering to herself;

"Like I said, that girl is going to shake this family by it's roots and it's about time too."

Ninety minutes later found Dara carefully navigating her way through the group of people who were busily passing by on the sidewalk in their quest to complete their Christmas preparations. Given the influx of traffic, she had been forced to park a little further way than she would have liked, especially given the unusually cold weather that had resulted in the ice that could be found scattered here and there, forcing Dara to be extremely cautious, especially in light of her condition. Reaching the door to the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, Dara quickly opened the door and found herself breathing a sigh of relief as she leaned against the back of the door after having forced it shut against the howling wind outside.

Having turned at the sound of the bell over the doorway that announced visitors, Ben couldn't help but shake his head as he chuckled at her rosy cheeks and tousled hair as he ventured;

"Dara, what on earth are you doing out in this weather, especially in your condition, you know that he's going to have an absolute fit when he sees you."

Dara motioned in the direction of Lucas' office before asking quietly;

"Is he in there, Ben?"

Puzzled, Ben simply offered a silent nod in response. Dara thanked him as she strode purposely towards the portal to rap lightly on the door. Hearing the light rap, Lucas glanced up in irritation as he issued a terse;

"Come in."

Having expected to see Ben or Floyd in his doorway, he found himself shocked to, instead, find his wife entering. Turning to his office window, Lucas sucked in his breath in shock as he saw the large digital thermometer on the building across the street flashing a temperature of twenty-six degrees. His eyes widening, he turned and demanded in an incredulous voice;

"Dara Cherice, have you lost your mind? It's freezing outside and you're seven and a half months pregnant; you shouldn't be running around in this weather."

Meeting his stare with one of her own, Dara lowered herself into a chair in front of his desk and was about to offer an explanation when there was a light knock on the door. Not waiting for an invitation to do so, Ben opened the door and offered Dara a slight smile as well as a steaming mug as he explained;

"Here you go, Dara. I know that you don't like coffee but as cold as it is outside you need something to help warm you up, so here's some hot chocolate."

Offering the man a grateful smile, Dara nodded;

"Thank you, Ben."

Once Ben had closed the door behind him after he left, Lucas waited patiently for Dara to remove her gloves and take a sip of the steaming liquid before taking a seat on the corner of his desk in front of her chair and crossing his arms over his chest before advising;

"I'm waiting for an explanation, Missy."

Glancing over the rim of her cup in irritation, Dara challenged;

"I'm your wife, not your child, so I will thank you to restrain that condescending tone in your voice. And, speaking of child, that happens to be why I'm here."

Eyeing her calmly, Lucas nodded;

"Alright, go on."

Dara pulled her shoulders back to lift her eyes to meet him evenly as she pulled a sheaf of papers form her purse before laying them on his desk as she stated;

"I've been giving this a lot of consideration, even before Caleb spoke up about it. I think that we should petition the courts to have his last name changed to 'Buck'; and, if it's what he wants, I want to petition to legally become Caleb's mother. I'm not saying that you don't love Caleb, but I don't see why we can't do this, especially considering the fact that you're willing to give him everything he wants; materially. This means more to him than any expensive gift or toy that we could buy for him."

Raising an eyebrow, Lucas asked her;

"Are you finished; have you had your say?" 

Holding her head high,Dara nodded;

"Yes; I've said everything that I wanted to."

Standing, Lucas turned to open his desk drawer and pull out a sheaf of papers that matched the ones that she had just placed on his desk. Picking up the stack, Dara noticed that these were filled out and were only awaiting their signatures and that of a judge. Looking at him, bewilderment showing on her face, she confessed;

"I don't understand."

Reclaiming his place on the corner of his desk, Lucas began explaining;

"After I left this morning, I thought about what Caleb and you said and I realized that I have been neglecting him. You're right; I've always given him every material thing that he even thought about asking for, but, until a short time ago I never gave him the one thing that he truly wanted; open acknowledgment that he is my son. I realized just how important our family has become to me; you, Alex, Riesa, Caleb and this baby. It occurred to me that Caleb feels excluded and I don't want that for him, so, I went and had the papers drawn up and all we have to do it to sign them and to get the judge's signature on them."

Glancing at the stack of papers lying on the desk, Dara looked up at her husband with love and admiration shining in her eyes as she pushed herself up form her chair to place her arms around her husband's neck as she asked;

"Have I told you lately just exactly how much I love you and just how grateful I am that I married you?"

Shaking his head, Lucas admitted;

"No, but I do owe you something."

Her eyes reflecting her confusion, Dara demanded;

"You do; what?"

Pulling her closer, Lucas claimed her mouth before lifting his head to explain;

"I forgot to kiss my wife this morning."

Dara couldn't help but offer him a loving smile before glancing at the stack of papers ask in seriousness;

"How soon do you think it will be before we can make this official?"

Leaning over, Lucas picked up the phone and began dialing as he waited until there was an answer;

"Is Judge Whitby in? He is, good, put me through; Lucas Buck. Hello, Rob? Yeah, this is Lucas; look, I need a favor. No, I need your signature on some papers for adoption; my wife and I are officially adopting Caleb Temple. Twenty minutes? No problem, see you soon."

Replacing the receiver, Lucas hung up the phone before turning back to Dara to shrug;

"See, no problem. Let's go."

Dara found that she was barely able to contain her excitement as she and Lucas waited for Caleb to return from school. However, when she heard the front door open her excitement turned to nervousness as she turned to her husband. Lucas, seeing the worry in her eyes, placed his hand over hers as he offered;

"Don't worry, I'll handle it."

Seeing Caleb in the hallway, he raised his voice as he asked;

"Caleb, son, would you come in here for a second please?"

Dara couldn't help but feel her heart ache for the pitiful sight that the boy made with his head hanging down, the misery showing on his face, as if he had just lost his best friend. She found herself hard put to swallow back the urge to cry for the boy when Lucas asked;

"Caleb, I want to ask you something."

Glancing up to meet his father's look, Caleb offered;

"Yes sir?"

Continuing, Lucas asked;

"Did you mean what you said this morning about wanting to be a Buck and about Dara being your mother, legally?"

Although he wasn't quite sure where his father's line of questioning was leading, Caleb affirmed;

"Yes sir, I did."

Motioning to the stacks of papers that were on the coffee table, Lucas queried;

"Caleb, do you know what these papers are?"

Caleb took one of the papers in his hand and, noticing the word 'adoption', turned to his father in confusion;

"I thought that you were my real daddy, so how come this says 'adoption'?"

Glancing to Lucas, Dara leaned forward slightly as she explained;

"Because, Caleb, I'm not your biological mother. In order for me to legally be considered your mother, I had to adopt you, do you understand?"

Nodding as he looked at the papers once more, Caleb questioned;

"What do you mean you 'had to', you mean you already did it?"

Nodding, Dara took a deep breath before launching in;

"Yes, Caleb, I hope that doesn't upset you but the papers were signed this morning so I'm now legally your mother."

Dara felt her heart lighten considerably as a look of genuine happiness rose in the boy's face, until he lowered his head once more before mumbling;

"But that still don't change my name, does it?"

Motioning to the second stack of papers on the table, Lucas instructed;

"Caleb, read that."

Taking the documents in his hands, Caleb began reading aloud;

"Let it be known that from this, the twelfth day of December the year..., that Caleb Gage Temple shall be hereafter known as Caleb Gage Buck."

His head snapping up to pin both with his eyes, Caleb asked excitedly,

Does that mean that I'm official now; I'm really your son and my last name is Buck now?"

Both Lucas and Dara nodded their affirmation as the boy launched himself at both to hug them before gushing;

"Thank you, this is the best present that I could ask for."

Pulling back a moment as if considering, he turned to Dara to venture;

"But could I still send Santa a list, just in case?"

Neither Lucas nor Dara could help but laugh as she nodded;

"Yes, by all means."

Staring after him as he ran off to share his good news, Lucas turned to Dara to demand;

"Are you satisfied now?"

Dara offered a slight nod as she pinned him with her eyes to ask;

"Yes, very much so. But, are you satisfied?"

Pondering her inquiry, Lucas took her hand before placing a kiss on her palm as he nodded;

"You know what, darlin? Believe it or not; yes, I am very satisfied."

Having made certain that her holiday preparations were completed before her family arrived, Dara had spent the entire day that they were due to arrive fretting over the special dinner that she was preparing. Lucilla couldn't help but shake her head at the girl's anticipation as well as nervousness as she admonished lightly;

"Girl, you're going to wear a groove in the floor with all of the running around that you're doing."

Offering the woman a tentative smile, Dara explained;

"I know, mama, but I haven't seen my sisters since Daddy died and they've never seen the twins; I'm really excited.."

Turning as she heard the sound of a car door closing, she excitedly exclaimed;

"They're here!."

Making her way towards the entryway door as quickly as her condition would allow, Dara found her husband standing there, shrugging out of his coat. Allowing a slight sigh to escape, she muttered;

"Oh, it's just you."

Feigning a look of hurt, Lucas complained;

"Darlin, I didn't think that we would be like that until we had been married for a least a hundred years."

Unable to prevent the smile of amusement that found it's way to her lips, Dara approached him to be enfolded in his embrace as she looked up apologetically as she offered;

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, I thought that you were my sisters."

Nodding in understanding, Lucas suggested;

"I'm sure that I can forgive you if I can get a real welcome."

Her lips curling in a smile of invitation, Dara ventured;

"Well, it is Christmas, and.."

Glancing up at the sprig of mistletoe that was hanging over the doorway she continued;

"it is a tradition."

Lowering his head to place his lips against hers, Lucas took possession of her mouth and soon found himself lost in the contact, so much so that neither noticed the door open admitting Caleb as well as Dara's family. All stood gaping at the couple until Jack observed, good naturedly;

"Well no wonder they've got another baby on the way."

Still holding her in his arms, both, Lucas and Dara turned in sharp surprise. Lucas was the first to recover as he released his wife to extend his hand good naturedly to his brother in law, giving his wife time to recover from her embarrassment. After she had hugged her family, Jack took a step back to take a look at his sister in law before shaking his head as he joked;

"You know, baby sister, this is becoming a tradition; every time that we see you, you're pregnant. Pretty soon you'll be banning us from coming around."

Unable to contain her laughter, Dara shook her head;

"Not a chance."

With that she motioned everyone to follow them inside as Jack turned to his wife to demand;

"Why don't you greet me at the door like Dara does her husband?"

Nudging her husband in the ribs with her elbow, Kara chastised;

"Behave."

Despite herself, Dara couldn't help but turn a deep shade of pink.

Once everyone had been settled into their rooms, the adults gathered around the kitchen table to enjoy a cup of coffee and some conversation. Kara turned to her younger sister to offer;

"I have to give you credit, Dara. How do you manage to stay so small, even seven months pregnant?"

Shrugging at her sister's inquiry, Dara didn't have a chance to offer an answer before Lucas quipped;

"I have a hard time figuring that one out myself, Dara, especially after all those midnight runs for rocky road ice cream."

Lifting her head haughtily, Dara returned pertly;

"Well, just see if I share my ice cream with you next time."

Everyone laughed as Jack inquired;

"Speaking of food, do I smell what I hope I smell?"

Nodding, Dara confirmed;

"Well, if you think you smell baked chicken and mushroom rice, then, yes, you do smell what you think you smell. I thought that might put you in a good mood."

Shaking his head as he smiled, Jack offered;

"And that's why you're my wife's favorite baby sister."

Having remained silent, Mara asked haltingly;

"Not that it's any of my business, but this house looks huge from the outside; how big is it?"

Taking a sip of his coffee, Lucas offered nonchalantly;

"Eight bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms, a living room, a dining room, a den, kitchen, and a small office for my wife."

Both Mara and Kara sat with their mouths hung open before turning to their sister to demand incredulously;

"Do you clean THIS by yourself?"

Dara couldn't help but laugh at her sister's concern as she shook her head;

"No, I have some help."

Jack, turning to his wife, quipped;

"So what was it that you were saying about wanting a maid for our little house?"

Tilting her head in contemplation, Dara ventured;

"Jack, you know it does help to have a husband who picks up behind himself."

Offering him a smug smile, Kara turned to her husband as she retorted;

"See, that's what I've tried to tell you for all of these years."

Once Dara had finished preparing the evening meal, with her sisters' help, everyone sat down to enjoy the meal that she had worked so hard to prepare. Although they had not kept it a secret, Dara's family found themselves shocked as Caleb turned to ask;

"Mama, could you please pass the rice?"

Kara and Mara offered the boy a smile before Mara asked;

"When did he start calling you 'mama' sis?"

They found themselves shocked as Lucas replied;

"Since we officially changed his name to 'Buck' and Dara legally adopted him as her son."

Noting the look of shock on both women's faces, Lucas couldn't help but be amazed as they glanced to each other before turning to Caleb to offer a genuine smile of love as Kara ventured;

"Well, I guess that we now 'officially' have another nephew then, huh?"

Although he knew his wife possessed the quality, Lucas couldn't help but marvel at the capacity that these three women seemed to possess when it came to including someone in their circle of love. Before he could ponder the thought any further, the sound of the phone ringing intruded in this thoughts as Caleb jumped up to volunteer;

"I'll get it, it's probably Boone anyway."

Turning to his mother in anxiousness, he questioned;

"He can still spent the night, can't he?"

Nodding, Dara confirmed;

"Yes, I promised you that he could, see if he'll need a ride over here."

Hurrying to answer the phone, he returned within a minute or so to advise;

"Daddy, it's for you. It's Ben and he says that it's important."

Excusing himself, Lucas left the table to take the call, returning a few minutes later, he leaned down, close to Dara's ear as he informed her;

"Darlin, I'm sorry but I've got to go to work."

The frustration and disappointment showing on her face, he wasn't surprised when she vented;

"Lucas, it's the holidays and everyone just got here, not to mention we're in the middle of supper."

Understanding her irritation, Lucas nodded;

"I know, honey, but Ben said we just got a lead about that shipment and that it's coming in tonight. I'll be back just as soon as I can."

Leaning close her whispered for her ears only;

"I love you and I promise that I'll make it up to you."

With that he kissed her soundly before she placed her hand on his cheek as she offered him a loving smile as she challenged;

"You better."

Turning to bid everyone else a good night, he headed up the hallway to grab his coat as he left. Mara turned to her sister in concern as she questioned;

"Does it ever worry you; I mean the fact that Lucas is a cop?"

Considering her sister's question, Dara shook her head as she confessed;

"You know, I've never really thought about it, to be honest. I mean, I know that it's dangerous, but, Lucas has been sheriff for a long time before we were married so I guess that I've just come to accept it as being a part of who he is so I've never really consciously worried about it."

After they had finished the evening meal, the adults, as well as Brittany, had retired to the living room to enjoy each other's company, as well as keeping Dara company as she waited for Lucas' return. The boys had taken up vigil in Caleb's room as they set about saving the universe with the assortment of video games at their disposal. Even though she enjoyed the conversation with her sisters, brother in law, niece and grandmother in law, Dara couldn't help but glance continuously at the grandfather clock, wondering when her husband would be returning. Having glanced at the clock for, what seemed to her, the thousandth time, she couldn't help but mutter;

"Finally."

As she pushed herself up from the chair as the phone began ringing. She had assumed that it would be Lucas, letting her know that he was on his way home, but she found herself disappointed when she picked up the receiver to greet;

"Hello?"

Hearing Ben's voice instead of her husband's, she tried to hide her disappointment as she asked politely;

"Oh, hi, Ben. What's the matter, did Lucas forget to sign some reports or something; can they wait until the morning?"

Hearing the hesitation over the phone line and sensing something dismal, She demanded;

"Ben, what is it?"

Hearing the worry in her voice, everyone had ceased their conversation to allow silence as they studied Dara in concern as her phone conversation continued as Ben finally answered;

"Dara, there was a problem with the bust. The boat that we raided, well, someone set the reserve fuel on fire and it exploded. Lucas was on the boat, we don't know much else right now."

Trying desperately hard to believe that she was simply having a nightmare and that her husband would walk through the door at any moment, Dara stood still as if frozen. She found herself brought back to reality as Ben's voice broke the silence;

"Dara, did you hear me?"

Pulling her shoulders back as she steeled herself, Dara took a deep breath;

"Yes I did, where are you at, right now?"

She could hear the hesitation in his voice as Ben offered;

"We're still at the docks, they're going over the boat right now and searching."

Brooking no room for argument, she advised him;

"I'm coming down there; right now."

She wasn't shocked as Ben interrupted;

"Dara, you don't need to see this mess, not to mention it's absolutely freezing cold and damp out here."

Her voice taking on a hard, knife like, edge, Dara stated emphatically;

"Ben, I am coming down there; right now. Arguing with me about it will only accomplish two things; delaying your finding my husband and wasting your breath."

Placing the receiver in its cradle, she effectively ended the conversation as she stood for a moment, trying to process what was taking place. Feeling everyone's eyes on her, she whirled around and, seeing the looks of sorrow, she shook her head vehemently as she ordered;

"Don't any of you DARE look at me like that! I know my husband and I know that he isn't dead, don't you think that, in my heart, I would know if he were? I'm telling you that he's not and I'm not standing here waiting for them to call me either; you can either come with me or not but you're not going to stop me."

Turning, she strode purposefully to the hall closet, knowing that it was cold outside and with the dampness at the docks it would be even more so, Dara searched until she found the heavy fur lined coat that Lucas had given her for their last anniversary. Struggling to put it on, she felt it being lifted and placed on her shoulders before she turned to find her family standing behind her as Jack helped her into her coat. Lucilla, voicing everyone's thoughts, offered;

"Your place is down there, you go ahead but just be careful and watch yourself and that baby. I'll stay here with the kids."

Silently, Dara nodded her thanks to the older woman before turning to the rest of her family as Mara stated;

"We aren't about to let you go down there by yourself, so let's go if we're going."

A short time later, Dara stood next to Ben as he chastised;

"You know that if Lucas finds out that you were down here and that I didn't make you go home, he's going to kill me."

Shaking her head as she took a sip of the hot cocoa that Floyd had brought her, Dara ordered;

"You let me worry about Lucas, Ben. Have they found anything yet?"

Shaking his head, Ben explained;

"Apparently, the explosion only blew out part of the boat so a lot of it is still in tact, they're checking now."

Before he could offer any other information, someone yelled from dockside;

"Hey, we found something."

Ben rushed forward, leaving Dara to proceed at a, somewhat, slower pace due to her condition as he took the flashlight and focused its beam on an object floating in the water, trying to focus his eyes to make it out. When she reached his side, Dara took the light and focused on the object for herself, her eyes widening in recognition, she turned to Ben as she exclaimed wildly;

"MY GOD, IT'S LUCAS! GET HIM OUT OF THE WATER!"

Glancing at the group assembled at the dockside, Dara felt as if everything was surreal as everyone seemed to be frozen in shock and surprise. Realizing just how big a factor time was at the moment, Dara began taking her coat off, preparing to jump in the water to save her husband. Ben as well as Jack, realizing her intentions, stopped her as both quickly took their coats off before diving in the water. Reaching Lucas, both men pulled him to the ladder where others were waiting to help get him up on the dock.

Once he had been laid on the surface of the dockside, Dara realized that no one seemed to know exactly what to do; it was as if everyone was afraid to take a chance of taking the wrong action. Quickly, Dara lowered herself to check his pulse before advising;

"He's alive, he has a pulse."

Ben, who had knelt down next to her to try and catch his breath as well as huddle in the blanket that someone had provided, demanded;

"Are you sure?"

Nodding, Dara turned to Floyd to order;

"Floyd, go get some hot coffee and find some liquor, preferably brandy, but get whatever you can and hurry."

Turning to the others assembled, she demanded;

"Someone help me to sit him up, we've got to get the water out of his lungs."

Two deputies helped sit Lucas up as Dara pumped his back to help dislodge whatever water had been swallowed. After a couple of minutes, he began coughing and sputtering before spitting out water; she thought that she had never heard anything sound so wonderful. Floyd returned with what she had requested as well as blankets to help warm Lucas up faster. Nodding gratefully, she doused the coffee with a good bit of brandy before positioning herself to cushion Lucas' head in her lap as she ordered sternly;

"Drink this, it will warm you up."

Bringing the cup to his lips, she wasn't surprised by the fact that he seemed to have choked on most of it, however, she felt gratified to realize that he had managed to swallow enough to change his color form the blue tinge that had been so obvious a few minutes before to a more healthy paleness as he opened his eyes and whispered hoarsely;

"You're a bossy little thing, do you know that?"

Unable to prevent the tears that were swimming in her eyes, Dara couldn't help but smile as she nodded. She felt a hand on her shoulder as Ben knelt close to inform her;

"We have an ambulance coming."

Glancing at Ben, Lucas advised;

"Well tell them that I don't need it. Help me up, I'm going home."

The shock evident on her face as her eyes widened, Dara shook her head;

"You can't just go home, not after what you just went through."

Lucas replied stubbornly;

"Oh, can't I?"

Sighing tiredly, he tried convincing her;

"Darlin, look, I just want a hot tub and a warm bed; hopefully, with you in it."

The look of shock in her eyes turning to one of pleading, she beseeched;

"Please, at least let the EMT's look you over?"

He could see by the look on her face that she had been worried, if not frantic, however, he also didn't want to cause her any undue stress. Finally, he reluctantly agreed to allow the paramedics to examine him to put her mind at ease. After they had examined him and pronounced him healthy enough to go home, one of the paramedics explained;

"Mrs. Buck, as cold as it is and especially in the water, it probably slowed his heart and breathing down enough to buy him the time needed until you found him. His vitals all seem fine now, he might get a cold but I would feel safe in saying that's probably about all that he might have to worry about."

Offering both men her thanks, she turned to her husband as she crossed her arms over her chest to reluctantly agree;

"Alright, you win, let's go home. I know that I'm freezing and you and Jack are both soaking wet so let's get out of here and get you two home where we can get you two warmed up."

Nodding his agreement, Lucas turned to Ben as he ordered;

"Ben, you let Floyd finish up here, you're soaked too. And Ben, thank you for jumping in to help me."

Holding his hand up, Ben shrugged;

"You'd have done the same thing for me, Lucas, so don't think anything about it."

Once they reached home, both, Dara and Kara hustled their husbands up the staircase to their respective rooms so both could soak in a hot bath to help ward off the chill from their earlier ordeal. Although Lucas knew that his wife's nurturing nature would more than likely take over given the worry and fear that he had seen in her face earlier as the paramedics were examining him, he couldn't help but feel himself amused when he stepped from the tub to find Dara ordering him sternly;

"Now, get into that bed."

Offering a slight chuckle, Lucas glanced at her in humor as he offered;

"Honey, you don't have to act so desperate, all you've got to do is ask me."

Setting her hands on her hips, she glared at him as she pleaded;

"I am serious, will you please, at least, humor me."

Seeing the concern on her face, Lucas felt deep remorse for joking at her expense as he complied with her request. Patiently, he allowed her to bundle the bedclothes around him for warmth, advising;

"I'll only be a couple of minutes, I'm going to take a quick shower."

With that, she placed a kiss on his cheek and hurried to the bathroom for her shower. When she joined him in bed and slid under the covers, feeling his shivering, she pressed close to him to share her warmth. When she finally felt the shivering lessen before stopping, she relaxed as she lay there thinking over the night's events, which led her to realize just how close she had, almost, come to becoming a widow, something that found her dealing with the rush of emotions washing over her as she began silently weeping. Feeling her body beginning to tremble as she wept, Lucas reached over to flip on his bedside lamp before turning to face her. Seeing the tears that she was silently shedding staining her cheeks, he began gently brushing them away before asking tenderly;

"Baby, what is it? You don't have to worry, I'm fine, I swear, love. I'm just a little cold still, that's all."

Shaking her head, Dara offered;

"I'm sorry, it's just a combination of being relieved and grateful that you're alive and panic at the thought of what could have happened. Plus, the sorrow at the idea of what life would have been like if you hadn't of been fine."

Lucas couldn't help but feel the love in his heart for, both, her and their children welling up inside of him at the sight of the tears staining his wife's face over the thought of losing him. Although he would never share it with anyone else, the thoughts of her were what had kept him from dying earlier. When the boat had exploded he had been thrown clear, but the shock of hitting the freezing water had stunned him into unconsciousness. He had felt himself losing his grip on his mortality when he began seeing images flashing in front of him, all of them were of his family but most of them were of his wife; their wedding day, the way she looked on their wedding night, when she was pregnant, her struggling to give birth to their children and how she looked just before he had left earlier that night as he kissed her before leaving, with love and happiness shining in her eyes. At that moment, he had come to the determination that he wasn't yet ready to give up.

He had managed to slow his heart and lungs down considerably, knowing that he was too weak to swim for safety, as well as taking into consideration the amount of water that he had swallowed. Truth be told, at that moment, he should have been laying on a slab in the morgue, ready to be pumped full of formaldehyde. Bringing his focus to the present, he turned back to his wife and realized that, at that moment, he needed to feel her as close to him as possible. Pulling her close, he wiped away the remainder of her tears before vowing;

"Darlin, I'm right here and I'm not about to leave you. If anything, you're what kept me alive in that water."

Puzzled by his statement, Dara glanced up at him;

"What do you mean?"

Shrugging, Lucas offered without embarrassment;

"Well, thinking of you and the fact that, for one, you're too young to be a widow, as well as being just too damned pretty to be left single, not to mention all of these kids that we have running around here."

Shaking his head, he stated firmly;

"There wasn't anyway that I was about to give up and leave you."

Offering a timid smile, Dara asked shyly;

"Do you mean that I mean that much to you?"

His eyes widened in shock as he asked incredulously;

"Was there ever any doubt? You mean everything to me, my love."

Placing her hand against his cheek, Dara asked quietly;

"Could you please kiss me?"

Holding her cradled in his arms, Lucas smiled;

"That's the best request that I could ask for."

Lowering his head he began gently kissing her, feeling his hunger for her beginning to rise as he deepened the kiss when he felt her responding to his touch as he moved from her mouth to tease her neck and throat. Although he felt her arch in pleasure, he wasn't shocked when she asked huskily;

"Darling, are you sure that you feel up to this?"

Lifting his eyes to meet hers, Lucas took his free hand to begin sliding the neckline of her gown down her arm to bare her breast as he smiled at her leeringly;

"I'm positive."

With that, he lowered his mouth to capture the swollen flesh with his tongue. Dara could feel the heat of her desire rising within her, however, she was also content to simply lie in her husband's arms and allow him to satisfy his own desires. Finding that she was no longer able to contain herself, she began running her hands feverishly across his body, leaving trails of heat from her touch. When both had fulfilled their desire and hunger for each other, they clung together, wrapped in each other's arms, basking in the aftermath of their lovemaking. Glancing up at him in concern, Dara asked;

"Do you think that you should have tired yourself like that?"

Laying back against the pillows with his eyes closed, Lucas smiled contentedly;

"I'm positive, besides, you did most of the work."

Blushing at the reminder of her own wanton behavior, Dara blushed as Lucas studied her and noticed the look of fatigue that was beginning to show on her face. Reaching over to flip off the lamp and cover the room in darkness once more, he situated himself to lift his arm, allowing her to snuggle closer. Satisfied that she was comfortable, he wrapped his arm around her before settling into sleep.


	32. Chapter 32

**CHAPTER 32**

The next morning found her sisters setting the pattern for what would be the remainder of her family's visit. Rising before Lucas, Dara decided to allow him to sleep in as she ventured to the nursery to find both of her sisters tending to Riesa and Alex. Stopping short in the doorway, she demanded;

"What are you doing?"

Kara turned, after placing Alex in his high chair so that she could feed him his cereal, to answer;

"What's it look like? We decided to tend to the kids this morning; after last night's excitement we thought that you would probably need the rest."

Attempting to take over the twins' care Dara found herself quickly ushered out by Mara as she pointed out;

"You see them everyday, this is our first chance at spoiling them, so let us enjoy it."

Glancing over her shoulder as she spooned cereal into Alex's mouth, Kara suggested;

"Why don't you go downstairs and help Mama Lucy with breakfast, we've got this."

Sighing as she shook her head, knowing that she wasn't going to win the argument, Dara ventured downstairs to help Lucilla finish preparing breakfast. Lucilla, hearing Dara coming up the hallway towards the kitchen, poured her a glass of juice to place in front of her as she eased herself into a chair. She couldn't help but notice Dara rubbing her lower back as she inquired in concern;

"You feeling alright, child? That cold last night wasn't good for either you or the baby."

Nodding as she continued rubbing her back, Dara offered;

"I'm alright, Mama, my back just hurts a little this morning."

Nodding her understanding, Lucilla sympathized;

"I know just how you feel. It seems like when I was carrying Gabriel, that's Lucas' daddy, my back hurt the whole time."

Seeing a doorway opening on a topic that she had been curious about since before her marriage, Dara seized the opportunity;

"Mama, can I ask you something?"

Intent on whipping the batter for the pancakes, Lucilla shrugged;

"I don't see why not, what's on your mind, Dara?"

Launching in before she could have time to reconsider, Dara asked;

"Why doesn't Lucas ever mention anything about either of his parents?"

Abruptly stopping her task, Lucilla turned to study her grandson's wife as she frowned;

"Why on earth are you wondering about that, Dara?"

Shaking her head, Dara replied;

"I don't know, curiosity I supposed. I mean, we've been married for almost two years and in all of that time I've never heard him mention anything about them. I was just wondering the reason; I mean, I know that his father died when he was young and that his mother left before that, but that's about all that I know and even that I learned second hand."

Knowing just exactly how perceptive Dara could be, Lucilla shrugged nonchalantly as she went back to whisking the pancake batter before she began pouring it onto the griddle as she tried to hide her anxiety over the younger woman's curiosity into, what she determined to be, a potentially dangerous topic as her voice took on a neutral tone;

"Well, there's really not much more to tell than that. I suppose that Lucas never really forgave Simone for leaving when he was little and, well, my son wasn't exactly the most easy tempered man to live with; it's not really like he has particularly pleasant memories where his parents are concerned."

Turning to study the look her granddaughter in law was wearing, Lucilla, deciding that appeasing the girl's curiosity would be the safest course of action, divulged enough to help explain part of Lucas' hatred for his father. Making certain that they were alone, Lucilla tactfully asked;

"Before you and Lucas were married, you didn't really have any experience where men were concerned, did you?"

Uncertain as to exactly what type of experience the older woman was referring to, Dara could only look at her, puzzled. Understanding the look, Lucilla bluntly clarified;

"Dara, were you a virgin when you got married?"

Even had she not nodded her affirmation, Lucilla had her question answered by the deep shade of pink that quickly found it's way to Dara's face. Taking the last of the pancakes from the griddle, as she turned the burner off on the stove Lucilla sat in the chair across from Dara before sighing heavily to ask quietly;

"Dara, have you ever noticed anything 'different' about Lucas when he's naked?"

Although she was clearly embarrassed, Dara questioned;

"Do you mean something that I would see only then?"

At Lucilla's nod, Dara searched her memory before recalling a conversation that she and Lucas had one night shortly after their marriage, when she had noticed a scar after they had made love. Although she had asked about it, he had dismissed her inquiry as an 'accident' and , abruptly, changed the subject. Bringing her thoughts back to the present, Dara nodded;

"Yes, I did; it was a scar. I had asked him about it and he said that it had been caused by and accident and then he changed the subject; why?"

Checking the hallway to be certain that there was no one who could overhear their conversation, Lucilla leaned closer to confide;

"It wasn't an accident, his father did that to him one night."

Her eyes widening with a combination of shock, horror and disbelief, Dara demanded;

"What in heaven's name for?"

As her memories came flooding back, Lucilla couldn't help but shake her head in despair of her son's cruelty and abuse;

"Unfortunately, my son grew up a lot like his father; drunk and mean. I tried to temper my husband's cruelty as much as possible."

Grasping the younger woman's hands in a manner of desperation, Lucilla pleaded;

"Please understand, Dara, when I married Gavin, I was very young. You see back in those days and especially since my parents had ten children, when he approached my father about marrying me, my daddy jumped on the offer. Being married at fourteen wasn't unusual in those days and, to be honest, he was a very attractive man, even if he was twenty years older than I was, you might not want to hear it, but Lucas looks a lot like him. I can't deny that I was flattered and the money he gave my father was such a help to my family that I thought I was doing the right thing, and, I convinced myself that I loved him, especially when I found out, a few months after we were married, that I was expecting a baby."

Dara allowed her to pour out her memories as the woman shook her head as she continued reminiscing;

"There I was, barely a baby myself and at fifteen I was a mama, although I have to admit, Gabriel was such a beautiful little baby. Of course that could well be because he was mine. But anyway, I tried really hard, but Gavin was so strong and domineering, and I found myself afraid of him over time. By the time Gabriel was ten it was very clear that he was going to walk in his father's footsteps."

Patting Dara's hand, Lucilla praised;

"That's one of the reasons that I was so grateful when Lucas chose you to be his wife. You were more mature than I was and Simone was when she and Gabriel were married and you were and are strong enough to keep Lucas' on the right path and to stand up for your babies."

Realizing that she had gotten sidetracked from her original goal of deterring Dara's curiosity, Lucilla brought the conversation back to that train of thought;

"Anyway, Gabriel, like Gavin, had a lot of prejudices and one night, when he had been drinking with some men from the Klan, a synagogue was burned. At the time, Lucas was about eight or so years old and when his father came home and bragged about what he had done, Lucas had said something to the effect that Jewish people were not bad and that what his father had done wasn't right."

Shaking her head at the memory of the pain that her grandson had faced that night, Lucilla continued;

"None of the Buck men had ever been circumcised, at least not until that night. Gabriel decided to change that by circumcising Lucas, he slipped with the knife a little and that's where the scar came from."

The horror evident on her face as well as the heartbreak for what her husband had suffered at his father's hands, Dara shook her head as she exclaimed;

"Nobody could be that monstrous, especially to their own child'; my God."

Nodding, Lucilla ventured;

"Now, do you understand why he doesn't talk about his parents? And if you're smart, you won't ask about them either and, whatever you do, don't let him know that you know how he got that scar."

Nodding, Dara remained silent as Caleb entered the kitchen with Boone, Mikey and Jacob in tow to state;

"Breakfast sure smells good, when can we eat?"

Offering the boys a smile, Dara began to push herself up from the table as she advised;

"Just as soon as we set the table and call everyone. Why don't you guys help me set the table."

Placing his hand on her shoulder, Caleb shook his head as the other boys began gathering the plates, silverware and so forth as he offered;

"It's okay, Mama, you just sit down and we'll set the table for you."

Glancing at the younger woman, Lucilla observed;

"You know, since you adopted that boy and changed his name, I don't think that I've ever seen a more wondrous change. You've been about the best thing that could have happened to this family and I'm grateful to you for it."

Dara couldn't help but stare at the woman in shock of the unexpected compliment as Lucilla added;

"But, don't you dare breathe one word of what I just said, it's between us."

Offering her nod of agreement, Dara pushed herself up to hug the woman;

"Thank you for your approval, it means a great deal to me."

With that she made her way upstairs to dress for the day as well as wake her husband. Turning the knob to her bedroom door, she found herself surprised as Lucas jerked the door open to take her arm and pull her inside the room as he shut the door and took his wife in his arms to kiss her soundly. When he lifted his head, Dara offered a chuckle of amusement as she ventured;

"Well, judging by that greeting I'm assuming that you're feeling okay this morning."

Nodding, Lucas placed a kiss on her forehead before releasing her as he offered;

"I feel just fine, darlin, all thanks to this amazing therapy that this beautiful and sexy angel of mercy who happened to grace my bed last night prescribed."

Placing her hands against his bare chest she lifted her head to meet his gaze;

"Good, that way, we won't be surprised when Matt gives you a clean bill of health this morning when he checks you and Jack out after last night's little adventure. Since we have an ultrasound this morning we'll just kill two birds with one stone."

Lucas was about to argue, however, seeing the pleading look in her eyes, he simply nodded;

"Alright, darlin, you win."

Once they had finished dressing for the day, they joined the rest of the family downstairs for breakfast. Sipping her coffee, Mara asked;

"So, what's on the agenda for today?"

Motioning towards Lucas, Dara explained;

"Well, I have an appointment for my ultrasound today and since Lucas is going with me, Matt is going to have a look at him to make sure that he's okay."

Turning to Kara and Jack, she advised;

"And, Jack, since you went into the water last night, which by the way, you have no idea just how grateful we are to you for that, I think you should let Matt have a look at you too."

Dara could see that her brother in law was about to argue, however, that was until Kara touched her husband's hand and nodded;

"I think that would be a very good idea, just think of how upset the kids would be if their dads were sick on Christmas."

Seeing that they were no match for their wives' stubborn determination, Lucas and Jack simply remained silent as they finished breakfast.

Two hours later, after examining, both, Lucas and Jack and giving them a clean bill of health, Matt stood, studying the screen as the technician maneuvered the ultrasound wand over Dara's abdomen. Glancing over his shoulder, he shook his head as he stated in astonishment;

"You know, it's not like I'm not use to people being interested in an ultrasound, but this is the first time that I've ever played to a packed house."

Turning her head, Dara had to chuckle, he had a point, both her sisters as well as Lucilla were crowding the small space. The only one who had opted to stay in the waiting room was Jack. All of the adults had accompanied Dara and Lucas leaving Caleb and Brittany to care for the younger children. Clasping Lucas' hand, Dara turned to Matt to offer;

"What can I say, Matt, my family is easily amused."

Matt couldn't help but laugh as he nodded;

"Well as far as this little one goes, there still isn't any indication if it's a he or she, but everything else is just fine. The baby's weight is in good range and this little one is developing perfectly. I'd say you've got about another seven or eight weeks to go and we'll be welcoming your newest baby."

After the technician had left the room, Matt tossed Dara a towel as he advised;

"So far, everything's looking good, just take it easy these last few weeks and you should be fine. I'm going to let you get dressed and, unless you have any problems between now and then, I'll see you in a couple of weeks."

After Matt had pulled the door closed behind him, Lucas helped Dara sit up as she turned to her sisters to demand;

"There, now are you two satisfied that me and the baby are doing fine?"

Crossing her arms over her chest, Mara stated defensively;

"So sue us, we worry about you. It's not like we're here to help take care of you."

Shaking her head as she took her husband's hand in hers, Dara lightly admonished;

"I know and I appreciate your consideration, but, I can promise you, Lucas and Mama Lucy most definitely make sure that I'm well looked after."

Glancing at the wall clock, Dara ventured;

"I don't know about you guys, but how about we finish the little bit of shopping we have to do and then grab some lunch before we head home. I suggest we enjoy our time away from the kids today, because you know that with Christmas eve tomorrow night, they're going to drive us nuts."

Glancing at each other, everyone agreed with her statement before everyone but Lucas left the room, allowing Dara to dress.

The arrival of Christmas eve found the children fulfilling Dara's earlier predictions with their incessant inquires which began early in the day. Lucas and Dara weren't shocked that Caleb had been the one to start the trend, especially since his experience with Santa Clause had only been encouraged since their first Christmas as a married couple. To that end, neither were surprised as he asked, for what seemed the hundredth time that day;

"Mama, you don't think that I asked for too much, do you? I mean I already got the really big present that I really wanted."

Shaking her head as she offered him a patient smile before easing his concern;

"No, Caleb, I think that you're just fine, I mean, Christmas is only once a year after all. Why don't you just go and play with the boys and don't worry, okay?"

Lucas found that he couldn't help but be amazed by the endless supply of patience that she seemed to possess, especially when it came to their children. He soon found that quality in her also seemed to extend to others, such as Ben. He knew that she had always found Ben to be likable, but after he had jumped in the freezing water to help Lucas, her opinion of the man had increased considerably, so when Lucas had mentioned that Ben would be spending Christmas alone she couldn't help but stare at him in astonishment as she demanded;

"What do you mean 'alone'?"

Having been used to Ben's yearly ritual, Lucas simply shrugged as he explained;

"Well, his ex and son will spend Christmas with her family and he'll be working tomorrow anyway, he always does. He volunteers to work so that any of the other deputies who have kids get a chance to spend the day with their families."

Tilting her head to the side as she crossed her arms over her chest, Dara asked;

"But what about tonight, it's Christmas eve?"

Replying automatically, having grown accustomed to the ritual, Lucas replied simply;

"He'll go see his son and take him whatever presents he got for him and then he'll go have a few drinks and then he'll just sleep it off until it's time for his shift tomorrow."

He wasn't shocked by her next statement when she shook her head vehemently;

"Not this year he won't, go and call him right now and ask him to come over. There's a room upstairs and he can spend the night and be here tomorrow with us until time for him to go to work."

Although he knew that his wife's heart was in the right place, Lucas also knew what Ben's response would more than likely be and he didn't want to see Dara's feeling hurt by his refusal. Placing his hand on her shoulder, he shook his head as he ventured;

"Darlin, he won't accept the invitation."

Standing her ground, Dara pointed towards the hallway phone as she demanded;

"Go and call him, we can at least offer."

Sighing, Lucas went to the phone to place the call; ten minutes later he returned, an astounded look on his face as he stated;

"He'll be here around seven and he said to tell you thank you very much."

Smiling, Dara wrapped her arms around his waist as she stated;

"No one should be alone at Christmas."

Arriving promptly at seven, Ben thanked Dara for her invitation with some embarrassment. Seeing his shyness, Dara offered quietly;

"You're more than welcome here, Ben. Besides, you gave me a gift that's infinitely more precious than what I'm giving you."

Puzzled, Ben shook his head;

"But I haven't given you anything, Dara."

Shaking her head in denial of his statement, Dara stated firmly;

"Yes you did, Ben; you saved the life of, not only, my husband but my children's father."

Uncomfortable at her show of gratitude, Ben went in search of Lucas.

After the evening meal and amid her sister's protests, Dara and Lucas took the twins upstairs for their baths and to settle them for the night. Once they were certain that their children were sound asleep, they returned to the living room to begin dropping hints to the other children that Santa wouldn't be able to deliver their presents until they were fast asleep. Finally, once all of the children, with the exception of Brittany, were upstairs and sleeping, the adults sat and chatted about Christmases past. Never having celebrated the holiday before marrying Dara, Lucas couldn't help but listen with rapt attention as she and her sisters recounted stories of holidays past. He couldn't help but notice the wistfulness that came to Dara's eyes at the memories of the time and effort that had been put into the holidays by their parents. Noting the time as the grandfather clock chimed, everyone decided that, given the fact the younger children would be up early, excited over what Santa had brought, it was time to make their way to their respective rooms to find their rest for the night.

Once they were behind their bedroom door, Lucas and Dara found themselves lost in each other's arms as they joined themselves together in desire. After they had satisfied their mutual hunger for each other and were satisfied and content, Lucas settled against Dara's back as he kissed her cheek to whisper softly in her ear;

"I love you."

Smiling to herself, she took the hand that he had laid across her in her own and squeezed it as she offered;

"I know and I love you too."

Satisfied, they both drifted down into sleep for the night.

Waking from the pain that seemed to persist in her lower back but had begun increasing over the past few days, Dara was careful not to wake her husband as she rose from the bed. Reaching for her robe and closing the door quietly, she headed downstairs in search of something for her pain and something to drink. Entering the kitchen, she flipped on the light and found herself yelping in surprise when she found Ben sitting at the table. Having obviously been surprised as well, Ben couldn't help but smile sheepishly as he offered;

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

Offering him a look of chagrin, she confessed;

"It's alright, you didn't exactly scare me, more like you surprised me."

Holding up his cup he offered;

"I hope you don't mind, it's hot cocoa, there's some on the stove if you'd like."

Nodding her thanks, Dara poured herself a mug before searching a cabinet to find the bottle of pain relievers. Taking a seat across the table from Ben, she began shaking a couple of capsules out as Ben motioned towards the bottle before asking in concern;

"Are you feeling bad?"

Nodding as she took the capsules before downing them with some of her cocoa, she explained;

"Yes, it's my back, it's been bothering me for the past couple of days. It could be worse though; when I was pregnant with the twins it seemed to hurt from the time I started showing until I delivered."

Motioning towards the bottle on the table, she ventured;

"That should help a little at least. By the way, what are you doing up?"

Shrugging, Ben offered;

"Just thinking, by the way, thank you for having me stay tonight, Dara. It means a lot to know that someone cares, especially around Christmas."

Placing her hand over his, Dara offered;

"You're more than welcome, but like I told you earlier, what you gave me was much more precious than anything I could ever give you and there's nothing I can ever do to repay you for what you did, Ben, you're always welcome in this house."

Pushing herself up from her chair, she ventured;

"I guess that I better get some sleep, it's going to be a zoo around her in the morning with the kids. Good night, Ben, sleep well."

Watching as she disappeared down the hallway towards the staircase, Ben, waiting until he heard the door upstairs close, smiled ruefully as he wondered aloud;

"I wonder what would have happened if I had seen her first that day?"

With that, he rinsed his cup before seeking his own rest for the night.

Dara and Lucas found themselves shaken from sleep as their bedroom door was thrown open to find Caleb landing at the foot of their bed to announce that Santa had delivered their presents. Assuring their son that they were fully awake and would be downstairs momentarily he flew from the room to race his cousins downstairs as Dara noticed the the grin on Lucas' face as she fastened her robe. Handing her husband his robe, Dara demanded;

"Okay, I give, what are you thinking?"

Shrugging, Lucas speculated;

"I was just thinking that by this time next year we're going to have three, possibly four, kids landing at the foot of our bed to wake us up."

Laughing lightly at the idea, Dara wrapped her arms around his waist as she offered;

"I don't mind, besides, that's half the fun of Christmas, watching the joy on their faces."

Joining the rest of the family in the living room, Dara couldn't help but giggle as she noticed her sisters' trying to shake the sleepiness from their faces as she observed;

"You two realize, of course, that this is our payback for all those years that we did this very same thing to Mama and Daddy, don't you?"

Taking a deep drink from the mug of coffee that Lucilla had just handed her, Mara offered grumpily;

"Just wait, little sister, next year you're going to have four little 'alarm clocks' waking you up. "

Jack, finding humor in the statement, shook his head as he theorized;

"I think you underestimate baby sister and Lucas, big sister. They've been married almost two years now and already have three, almost four kids, I'm willing to bet that before those two are done they'll end up with a baseball team."

Taking up a place on the floor, each with a child in their lap, Dara and Lucas turned to Jack as Lucas offered;

"Well, Jack, considering that it took me a long time to find a wife like Dara, I have to make up for some lost time, we just didn't think we'd be making it up THIS fast."

Finding humor, the adults laughed as the kids began sorting through the plethora of gifts piled under the tree. Making certain that everyone was accounted for, Caleb, having volunteered to play Santa, began handing out gifts, making certain that everyone received at least one present before tearing into his own gifts. Having lavished their younger children with Christmas gifts, Lucas and Dara couldn't help but feel bewildered amusement as they found that they seemed to prefer playing with the the boxes and wrapping as opposed to the gifts themselves. Shaking her head ruefully, Dara looked at Lucas;

"You know, we could have saved a lot of time and money if we had simply wrapped some empty boxes."

Chuckling at the idea, Lucas reached across to place his hand on her stomach as he considered;

"We'll have to try that next year with this baby."

At that moment, Dara received the best Christmas present that she could have been given; she was holding Riesa and helping her open a gift from one of her aunts when the child turned and looked into her mother's face before clearly stating;

"Mama."

Stopping, dead in her tracks, Dara's eyes widened, as did everyone else's as they simply stared at the baby before she turned to Lucas to ask quietly;

"Did you hear what I think I did?"

Before Lucas could answer, Alex, not to be outdone by his sister, followed suit by holding out his small arms in expectation as he stated with equal clarity;

"Mama."

A smile of loving patience curling her lips, Dara requested softly;

"Can you say that again, angels?"

Both babies glanced at each other in question then to, first, their mother, then to their father. Looking down at his children, Lucas motioned to Dara as he asked;

"Alex, Riesa, who is that?"

Both children looked at their father, the puzzlement apparent in their eyes as first one then the other responded;

"Mama."

Wiping away tears of happiness from her eyes, Dara smiled as she followed Lucas' example, motioning towards her husband as she asked;

"Who is that, babies?"

Repeating their earlier looks of puzzlement as they looked at their father, they responded;

"Daddy."

Having sat back silently, Kara ventured her opinion;

"I don't believe it, my kids were over a year old before they were able to even attempt doing that; they aren't even a year old yet."

Dara couldn't help but smile as she stated proudly;

"I know, they seem able to grasp things very quickly. I don't quite understand it myself but this is the best Christmas present that I could have received."

Lucas, who had tried to act as surprised as his wife over this latest achievement, caught a knowing, sly look from his grandmother as he recalled a conversation they had a few days earlier. Lucas and Lucilla had debated the necessity of Dara knowing just exactly how gifted her children truly were shortly before her family's arrival.

Having attended a conference earlier that day which had dismissed earlier than expected, Lucas had checked in at the station and learned that nothing requiring his attention was happening, that being the case he had decided to call it an early day and head home. As he entered the kitchen and noticing his wife's absence, Lucas asked his grandmother;

"Where's Dara?"

Motioning towards the upper floor, she explained;

"She's upstairs, taking a nap. She was worn out after shopping this morning."

Nodding, he stated;

"Good, she needs the rest."

Taking a chair as he accepted a cup of coffee from Lucilla, he could tell that there was something on her mind as he set the cup on the table to demand;

"Alright, Mama, what's on your mind?"

Deciding that she needed to give voice to the thoughts she had been wondering for the past few days, Lucilla took the chair across form him as she asked in an even tone;

"Lucas, don't you think that it's about time that you told that girl just exactly how it is that those babies seem to be learning as fast as they are?"

Glaring at her in angered disbelief, Lucas growled in a hushed tone;

"Are you senile? If I tell her, she's liable to run away out of fear."

Shaking her head, Lucilla reasoned;

"Not if you're careful how you explain this to her. I know that she loves you and she loves those children, she's a good wife and mother."

Seeing the doubt on her grandson's face, she reminded him;

"Look, you said that she's aware of your ability to 'show' her things, right?"

Lucas nodded reluctantly, although she had simply accepted his ability she never referred to it or to the dreams that he had entered before their marriage. Continuing, Lucilla offered;

"Alright then, I'm sure that she'll accept this as well."

Shaking his head, Lucas argued;

"I don't think so, Mama. I think that we just need to leave it like it is and let her think that they're just extremely gifted children."

Looking at him sharply, Lucilla admonished;

"Boy, she's not stupid and we both know how curious she is. Eventually, she's going to get suspicious, especially when the new baby is just as 'gifted'."

Lucas couldn't help but sigh in exasperation; although he was loath to the idea, he knew that, if that ever happened, what would have to be done. Turning to his grandmother in deadly seriousness, he stated in a dangerous tone;

"I will not lose her, Mama, for ANY reason. If she does get a little too curious, then I'll deal with it; my way. Until then, let's just let her continue thinking that they're just very advanced."

Noting the deadly look of seriousness that her grandson wore, Lucilla shrugged as she stated in an even tone;

"We both know that you could do that, indefinitely, but I think that you also know that's not how you want to handle your wife or your marriage; you have a good wife and a good marriage. You do whatever you think that you should, but we both know that if she ever becomes aware of the fact that you're not totally honest with her, especially where those babies are concerned, that she'll leave you. You have her trust, Lucas, and with a woman like Dara that's a big part of who she is and if you break that trust then you'll break her."

Lucas found himself jerked back to the present as he wife repeated;

"Lucas, honey, I asked you how you like your gift."

Mentally shaking himself from his reveries, Lucas smiled as he looked at the leather jacket that she had given him before replying;

"I love it, sweetheart, thank you."

Motioning to her neck, he asked;

"How about you, did you like your gift?"

Reverently, Dara touched the diamond pendant that he had fastened around her neck earlier; it was made with the same intertwining diamond ropes as her wedding ring only shaped into a heart. Leaning across the space he placed a kiss on his cheek as she nodded;

"Yes, I love it, but you really shouldn't have, you know you spoil me, right?"

Placing his hand against her cheek, he nodded;

"I happen to enjoy spoiling you, so just say thank you like a good little wife and let me, okay?"

Emitting a soft giggle, she placed her hand over his as she nodded;

"Alright, my love, if it makes you happy, who am I to deny you."

With that she handed Riesa to Caleb as Lucas did the same with Alex to Kara before rising to help Dara up from the floor as she advised;

"I'm going upstairs to get dressed so I can get Christmas dinner ready."

Watching as she headed up the staircase, Lucas silently wondered silently;

_'Just how much longer CAN I keep her from finding out.'_

After everyone had eaten their fill of Christmas dinner as well as the deserts that Dara, her sisters and Mama Lucy had worked so hard to prepare, as well as Matt, Loris, Selena and Ben stopping by, it was clear that the day had been a full and tiring one. The children found themselves worn out from playing with their gifts and were soon sound asleep; the adults, especially Dara, found they were also more than ready to retire to their beds to find their rest for the night. When they had retired to the privacy of their bedroom and had settled themselves in bed, Dara, feeling the gentle touch of Lucas' fingers tracing the delicate line of the gown's neckline, she turned to her husband to plead;

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry, there's nothing that I would like more than to make love with you, but my back is bothering me again and I'm just so tired."

Nodding his understanding, Lucas offered;

"That's fine, darlin, you need your rest anyway."

Motioning for her to turn to her side so that she faced away from him, he held her close before he began to gently massage her lower back. He knew that it had been bothering her off and on for most of her pregnancy, especially considering the damage that she had sustained after the beating that she had suffered from Landrum. Finally, after the muscles had seemed to quiet in their rebellion, she fell asleep. Feeling the even rise and fall of her breathing, Lucas pulled the covers around them before settling closer to her before falling asleep himself.


	33. Chapter 33

**CHAPTER 33**

Although she had felt an earlier twinge of pain, Dara had dismissed it once it had ceased and quickly drifted back to sleep. However, this time, she wasn't as easily able to dismiss just how sharp the pain that started in her lower abdomen before it wrapped itself around to meet in excruciating agony in the middle of her back. Careful not to wake Lucas, she left the bed to make her way into the bathroom, feeling ill from the severity of the pain.

Once she was certain that she wouldn't be sick, she waited a few minutes more to see if the pain would return. Considering the possibility that she had simply suffered a false labor pain or something that was as easily explained, Dara breathed a reserved sigh of relief when the pain didn't return. Deciding that she needed something to drink, she quietly closed the bedroom door behind her to make her way downstairs for a glass of juice. Checking on, both, Caleb and the twins to make sure that they were warm enough, she began descending the staircase, confident that the earlier pain had just been a mere cramping of some type. She found herself taken off guard by the severity of the pain that struck her suddenly halfway down the stairs. Although she grabbed for the railing for support, she found herself knocked off balance by the pain's severity and stumbled. Falling halfway down the staircase, unable to stop herself she landed at the bottom of the stairs, the pain overwhelming her in, not only, her abdomen but her back as well, unable to endure the severity of the pain she found herself being engulfed in blackness as she lost consciousness.

Lucas found himself shaken from his sleep by a strange sound downstairs. Glancing over to find his wife's side of the bed empty, he quickly oriented himself as he grabbed his robe before throwing open the bedroom door to go in search of Dara. Seeing that everyone else had heard the noise as well by the fact that they were opening their doors, he wasn't shocked when Kara, not seeing her sister, demanded;

"Where's Dara?"

Shrugging, the worry evident on his face, he made his way down the staircase, stopping short halfway at the sight of his wife, lying on the floor. Taking the remaining steps two at a time, he knelt next to her and lifted her to a sitting position to plead with her;

"Dara, baby, can you hear me?"

Opening her eyes, he could tell by the grimace that crossed her features that she was in pain, especially when she gripped his hand until the agony ended. He could hear the fear in her voice as she stated dishearteningly;

"I'm in labor, it started earlier but I didn't realize what it was was and when I was half way down the stairs another pain hit me and I lost my balance."

Checking to make certain that she wasn't bleeding, he turned to the crowd on the landing above to order brusquely;

"One of you call Crower. NOW!"

Trying to breath through the pain that she was, once more, gripped in, Dara tightly squeezed his hand until the pain passed . Looking into Lucas' face in fright she shook her head;

"There's something wrong, the pain is in my back too, not like before and it's worse there than in my stomach."

Lucas could only nod his understanding, he and Crower had been worried that she may well have to endure back labor, thanks to Landrum's abuse. Lucilla stood at the top of the stairs as she advised;

"Dr. Matt said to meet him at the hospital, he's leaving right now."

Before Lucas could answer, Dara became gripped in the clutches of another pain, this time bringing oblivion with it. Lucas found himself filled with horror and fear at the sight of her still face as her eyes closed until he realized that she had fainted from the pain. Lucilla, ever practical, came down the stairs followed closely by Kara and Mara to hand him his clothes and boots as she pointed towards the downstairs bathroom;

"You go and get dressed and we'll stay with her."

Offering a quick nod of thanks he hurried into the room and quickly dressed before returning to, carefully, lift her from the floor as Lucilla took a blanket that she had draped over the railing to cover Dara, stating;

"It's freezing out there and she doesn't need a cold on top of everything else."

Although it had seemed an eternity to Lucas as he had sped down the highway, ten minutes later he was placing his wife on a stretcher and watching as she was rushed into an examination room; pacing back and forth, Lucas waited for Crower to complete his examination. Turning at the sound of the door opening, he noted the grim look on Matt's face and felt his heart sinking as he stated more than asked;

"She isn't going to be alright, is she?"

His voice taking on an even tone, Matt crossed his arms over his chest as he advised him;

"I'm not going to lie to you, we're going to have to do a C-section this time. There's no way that she could endure a natural delivery, plus, she's starting to lose some blood."

The logical part of his mind accepting the explanation, Lucas nodded his understanding before asking the question that he considered to be of the utmost importance at the moment;

"Will she survive?"

Wishing that he could reassure him beyond doubt, Matt sadly shook his head before admitting;

"Hopefully? Yes; but right now, until I find out why she's losing the blood, I don't know. I'm sorry, but you're going to have to stay in the waiting room this time. She's already unconscious, but, we're still going to have to anesthetize her anyway for this."

Not thrilled over the prospect of leaving his wife alone during their child's birth, Lucas could only nod curtly as Rita brought the consent forms for his signature; after quickly scribbling his name on the permission forms and handing them back to her, Rita motioned to the waiting room as she vowed;

"I promise, Sheriff Buck, as soon as possible, I'll bring you news."

Lucas stood, watching her disappear behind the doorway to the surgical area, feeling helpless, unable to help his wife. He wasn't shocked when a short time later, Dara's sisters, as well as Caleb, Lucilla and Jack arrived to wait with him, explaining that Brittany was caring for the younger boys and the twins. Simply nodding, he turned towards the window, absorbed in his own thoughts, as he remained silent; he couldn't help but notice that everyone else was in the same mood and wondered absently if, just maybe, they were offering their own prayers for the end result of the current situation.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Matt emerged from the O.R., breathing a sigh of relief as he offered;

"You have another healthy daughter, she was seven pounds even and Dara is going to be just fine. The bleeding was caused by a break in the placental sack, so there wasn't any damage, we got the baby out before it became overly serious. They're taking Dara to a room now, so you can go and see her in a few minutes, but you can see the baby right now."

With that he motioned for Lucas to follow him as he led the way to the doorway as Rita emerged to walk up and place the tiny bundle into Lucas' arms. Looking down, he studied the small face, overwhelmed by relief that she and her mother were both going to be fine. Handing her back to Rita, he asked in concern;

"Does she have to go into an incubator too?"

Nodding, Matt held his hand up in a placating manner as he explained;

"Yes, but it's really just a precaution since she is four weeks early and because of the break in the placental sack. I just want to make sure there are no surprise problems."

Catching the signal from the nurse coming down the hallway, Matt motioned;

"Come on, Dara is settled so you can go in and see her."

Following Matt to her room, Lucas stopped just outside the doorway as Matt explained;

"Now, she's going to be very tired for a while and extremely sore from the surgery, so make her rest and take it easy for a little while. Not to mention, she has a sprained ankle from her fall so she's going to be immobile for a few days, which should make your job of making her rest a little easier."

Nodding, Lucas grasped the other man's shoulder as he offered;

"Thank you, Harvard, for everything."

Unaccustomed to emotion of gratitude from this man, Matt simply nodded before turning to make his way back down the hallway. Stepping into the room, Lucas crossed the space to study his wife's face, relaxed in sleep; placing his hand along her cheek, he leaned over to gently kiss her lips as she began regaining consciousness. Glancing up into her husband's face, Dara demanded drowsily;

"What happened?"

Before Lucas could answer her query she moved her hand to her stomach, when she felt its flatness her eyes began widening in panic. Seeing the hysteria rising, Lucas placed his hand gently over hers to shake his head before explaining;

"It's alright, they did a C-section and the baby is fine; we have another daughter."

Tears began sliding down her face as Dara sighed in gratefulness as she tried to focus on the events that had led to the birth of their child before asking weakly;

"What happened?"

Frowning, Lucas asked;

"Do you remember anything?"

Concentrating for a moment, Dara shook her head;

"The last thing that I remember was going downstairs to get something to drink when I felt a sharp, sudden pain and then I heard you calling me, but that's about it."

Grateful that she didn't remember the agony that she had endured, Lucas chose his words carefully as he explained;

"It seems that you went into labor early and apparently a pain hit you suddenly. The next thing that I knew, you were laying at the bottom of the steps, Crower said that you were having back labor, so he thought that a C-section would be better for you. How are you feeling?"

Shrugging exhaustively as she explained;

"I'm tired, weak and sore and my stomach feels as if someone has beaten me in it."

Taking her hand, Lucas kissed it before holding it next to his cheek as he gave voice to the thoughts he had been considering once he learned that his wife was out of danger;

"Darlin, I think that we need to give serious consideration to not having anymore children; it seems to put you through the mill and we have four. I couldn't stand it if something were to happen to you."

Giving his hand a slight squeeze of acknowledgment, in a weak voice, Dara suggested;

"Darling, can we discuss it later on? Besides, it's not really as if I'm in any condition to have another baby at the moment anyway."

Realizing that his timing was somewhat inappropriate, Lucas simply nodded as Rita opened the door to make her rounds. Seeing Dara awake, she offered her a bright smile as she observed;

"Well, I see that you're wake. Although it will have to wait until morning, I have someone who can't wait to meet you."

Her eyes widening in disbelief at the woman's statement, Dara demanded;

"What do you mean; 'it has to wait until the morning'? I want to see my baby. NOW!"

Bestowing an indulgent look on her patient, Rita's voice took on a cajoling tone as she ventured;

"Now, Mrs. Buck, you've just had a C-section and your daughter is in an incubator for tonight. Although that is just as a precaution, meeting her will still have to wait until the morning."

Narrowing her gaze at the woman, Dara's own voice took on a very calm and deliberate tone; something that Lucas realized was not only deceptive, but also meant trouble for Rita as she began;

"Rita; first of all, we have been on a first name basis with each other since my second week on staff when I began working here so please save the patronizing for someone else. Secondly, You, of all people, should realize that after what I went through to bring that child into this world, I am not going to be denied seeing her."

Her face becoming a mask of determination, Dara threw the covers aside and attempted to stand, however, she knew the minute that she had sat up so quickly that she had made a mistake. But, her determination was winning the tug of war with her good sense at the moment, something her husband realized as he quickly caught her before she could collapse to the floor. Holding her upright, Lucas turned to Rita to growl;

"Go find Crower."

Her confusion evident, Rita stood, trying to decide what she should do. Although she was put out by Dara's stubborn attitude she also had no wish to incur Lucas Buck's wrath either; something that found her standing in indecision until Lucas, having found his patience at an end and knowing his wife's stubborn streak , made the decision for her as he ordered in a booming voice;

"NOW!"

Quickly, she fled out the door in search of Matt as Lucas tried to placate his wife. Matt entered, alone, Rita having declined to return. Placing his hands on his hips in a stubborn stance as he narrowed his gaze at his patient, Matt chastised;

"Although I'm glad to find you awake, I would prefer that you stay put. I'd like to remind you that you've just had a C-section and that you need your rest."

Lifting her head in a defiant manner, Dara stated obstinately;

"Not until I see my baby."

Matt's mouth dropped in shock as he attempted to reason with her;

"She's in an incubator, just for tonight. Grant it, she weighed in well enough and she's fully developed and her breathing seems just fine, but, she did arrive four weeks early and I'd rather be safe than sorry to make sure there aren't any complications."

Nodding her acceptance of his logic, where her daughter was concerned, Dara ventured;

"Alright, then I'll go the nursery to see her."

Staring at her in disbelief, as if she had just said that she would fly without wings, Matt shook his head vehemently;

"No you wont. Dara, you're too weak, you lost some blood and you need to rest."

Matt knew by the mask of stubbornness that crossed her face, that he was in for a battle, something made abundantly clear when she stated in a firm and unmovable voice;

"Dr. Crower, you have exactly two choices. Either you can order a wheelchair and let me go see my child, or, I'll walk in there on my own. Now, which one would you prefer?"

Finding himself at a loss for words, Matt turned to Lucas in desperation as he demanded sharply;

"She's your wife, can't you reason with her?"

Shaking his head, finding a slight bit of amusement in Matt's conundrum, Lucas confessed;

"Harvard, you've known her, how long? And you think that when she's THIS determined I'm going to sway her decision? Look, she's not going to be satisfied until she sees the baby so why not get a wheelchair and let her go in for a few minutes."

Matt crossed his arms over his chest as he asked in a hopeful voice;

"If I agree to let you go in the nursery for a few minutes, do you promise that you'll get back in that bed and do what you're told; including taking something for the pain?"

Holding her hand up she swore solemnly;

"Scouts honor."

Shaking his head as he sighed in defeat, Matt swore;

"Alright dammit, you win. I'll get a chair, hang on."

Matt opened the door to find a chair as Kara entered the room to demand in concern;

"Dara, are you alright?"

Nodding, Dara offered simply;

"Yes, I'm going to see my baby, that's all."

Staring at her younger sister in shock, her mouth open, Kara admonished;

"Dara, you just had surgery and you need to rest, they'll bring the baby in tomorrow."

Narrowing her gaze at her sister, Dara shook her head stubbornly;

"What is the deal with the recurrent theme of arguing with me about seeing my child? I went through hell to have her and I want to see her; tonight, not tomorrow. Now, my mind is made up so everyone just needs to be quiet about it and deal with it."

With that, Dara dropped the subject as Matt entered with a wheelchair. After he had secured her IV line, he nodded to Lucas who lifted her off of the bed to place her in the chair. Five minutes later, Matt had taken her daughter from the incubator to lay her in Dara's arms, allowing her a few minutes to hold her daughter. Lucas couldn't help but marvel at the sight that his wife made holding their child close to her, smiling lovingly as she studied their child's face. Glancing up into her husband's face, Dara observed;

"I think it's safe to say that she's definitely our child; she looks like a combination of both of us."

Lucas could only nod as he realized the truth of her statement as he noticed the baby's features more closely than he had when he had first held her. Reluctantly, Matt took the baby from her to place her back in the incubator before turning to Dara to remind her;

"A promise is a promise, back to your bed, young lady."

Once she had been returned to her room, Matt couldn't help but notice as Lucas lifted her from the chair to settle her in her bed, the grimace of pain that had crossed her face. Crossing his arms over his chest, he stated, rather than asked;

"You're hurting, aren't you?"

Although she was about to deny the truth of his observation, when the jolt of pain washed over her stomach, she found herself, reluctantly, admitting;

"Maybe just a little bit."

Nodding, Matt stated;

"I thought so."

Turning on his heel, he left the room and a moment later, Rita opened the door slightly to poke her head in as she asked cautiously;

"Now can I give you your medication?"

Dara offered a simple nod and waited patiently as Rita reconnected her IV line before injecting a syringe into the port. After checking the line she nodded her satisfaction before venturing;

"There, that should take effect in a few minutes."

Her task completed she offered;

"If you need anything you call us."

With that she left to give Dara and Lucas a bit of privacy before the medication began working. Holding her hand, Lucas couldn't help but shake his head as he observed;

"You, my love, are very hard headed. You do know that, don't you?"

Offering a slight chuckle, Dara shrugged slightly;

"Yes, but just think, that's part of what makes our marriage so exciting. And, would you change that about me, even if you could?"

Bringing her hand to his lips to place a kiss on her palm, Lucas shook his head;

"You're right, it does. And no, I wouldn't change you, I wouldn't want you to be any other way than what you are."

He couldn't help but notice how she was fighting to keep her eyes open as he asked softly;

"Are you feeling any better yet?"

Nodding, Dara replied sleepily;

"Yes, and very sleepy."

Placing his hand on her cheek, he instructed her softly;

"Well, close your eyes and let the medication do its thing."

Watching as her eyes closed and her breathing deepened, Lucas sat by her bed until he was certain that she was sound asleep. His shift almost over, Matt opened the door to check on Dara before leaving for the night, motioning towards her he asked;

"Did she finally give in and fall asleep?"

Nodding, Lucas ventured;

"Yeah, I assume that she's out for the night."

Matt nodded;

"Pretty much, she's going to be very sore tomorrow, especially in her stomach. Before you ask, everything seems fine at this point so if you and she decide to have another baby that shouldn't be a problem, but there is one thing that we need to be clear about; it's going to take a few months for her stomach to heal from the C-section. That being the case, she doesn't need any more surprise pregnancies."

Although he had been fully prepared for an argument, Matt found himself somewhat surprised when Lucas simply nodded before admitting;

"I was just thinking about that earlier. It's been so rough on her both times; we have four kids and I don't want to risk anything happened to her if it can be helped. Can she take birth control pills?"

Giving the question some consideration, Matt shrugged;

"I don't see why not, but we have six weeks before we really need to worry about it."

Glancing back towards his wife, Lucas considered;

"I guess that I need to let everyone know what's going on."

Rising from his chair, he turned and followed Matt from the room to make his way to the waiting room where everyone was waiting patiently for news. Relieved at the turn of events, Lucas couldn't help but smile proudly as he put their fears to rest;

"She's going to be just fine; a little sore and very tired for a while, but other than that, she and the baby are both fine. Crower gave her something for pain so she's out for the night."

Mara and Kara sighed in relief as did Jack and Caleb, Lucas couldn't help but notice the neutral look on his grandmother's face as she simply replied;

"I didn't have any doubts that they wouldn't be fine."

Having lagged behind a little, making certain to check on his wife once more before strolling by the nursery window to get another glimpse of his daughter, Lucas realized that everyone had already left. As he mad his way to his car, he couldn't help but notice the sun beginning to rise in the early morning sky and with it he could feel his spirits lifting as well. He had come to realize shortly after Dara had entered his life that the rage that used to be such a driving force in him seemed dim in comparison to the love that was now the source of his energy.

Much to her relief, after three days and Matt's satisfaction in, both, her and the baby's progress, Dara was allowed to return home. Aside from the soreness in her stomach and the twisted ankle that she had sustained in her fall, she seemed to be healing fairly quickly. Given her stubborn nature and her need for rest, both Lucas and Matt had agreed that it would be to her advantage if she weren't allowed to have crutches, that way, she would have no alternative but to rest as she had been ordered to do.

Having given great consideration during the length of her hospital stay, Lucas and Dara had pondered over their new daughter's name. Finally, Dara had suggested Katherine Lucilla, after her and Lucas' grandmother. Caleb, as with his brother and sister, had concluded that Katherine was simply too long a name for such a little baby and so, to that end, he had nicknamed her 'Rinie', something that met with his parent's approval.

Since they had missed out on the early days of the twins lives, Dara's family was thrilled to have been present for the birth of Rinie, something that Kara had just expressed to Dara as Lucas entered the room to greet his wife. Not really paying any particular attention to the conversation, given his purpose for entering the room was to find something in their closet, he found himself caught completely off guard when Kara casually suggested;

"You know, since we're here for the next couple of days and since you didn't do it with Alex and Riesa, you should really consider having all three of the babies christened before we leave for home."

His eyes widening in slight panic at the thought, Lucas stood silently still as he waited for his wife's answer. When the twins had been born she had not mentioned wanting to have them christened and Lucas hadn't suggested the idea either. Now, he waited with baited breath for Dara's reply. Finally, he found himself sighing in relief as Dara reminded her sister;

"Kara, you know that I don't prescribe to any particular religion and you know how I feel about that."

Although she had a very strong faith and belief in God, Dara had explained to him before they had married that she didn't believe in any one particular religion. Rather, that she felt that it was up to the individual to live by what his or her conscience dictated. Even now, he could clearly remember a statement that she had made one time on the subject;

"I really don't think that when I get to the gates of Heaven that God will have taken attendance of all of my time that I spent in a church. Rather, that He'll look and see what was in my heart, how I tried to live my life and treat others and how much faith and belief that I have in His presence."

Thinking that the conversation had been concluded, Lucas nearly froze in fear when Kara offered the one reason that he knew would sway Dara's feelings;

"I know your opinion on the subject, but you know how Mama and Daddy would feel if they were here, so do it for them; besides, it's family tradition."

Lucas felt his heart sink as he listened intently when he heard his wife agree to call the minister who had performed their mother's funeral service to see about christening all three children. Knowing that he couldn't allow them to be christened, Lucas racked his brain but, for the moment, any idea as to how to convince his wife not to go through with it without disclosing deep secrets that he didn't want exposed was eluding him. Hiding his frustrations as he reentered their bedroom he answered his wife's inquiry, calmly, as she asked if he had heard the conversation between herself and her sister. Shaking his head, he fibbed;

"No, darlin, I'm sorry. I didn't hear what you were talking about; why?"

Motioning to her sister, Dara explained;

"Kara thinks that we should have the babies christened while they're here to attend. What do you think?"

Careful to mask his own anxiety, he replied in a nonchalant tone as he shrugged;

"I thought that we had decided that we didn't want to do that, that we were going to wait and let the kids decide for themselves when they were older and understood it better."

Speaking up, Kara interjected;

"Well it's really just a family tradition, Lucas. You're not exactly baptizing them, you're just formally naming them."

The irritation he was trying to hide rising to the surface, Lucas cast a look of derision at his sister in law as he quipped;

"I thought that was what we did when we filled out their birth certificates."

Her eyes widening in surprise at his tone, Dara found herself shocked, she had never heard him use that tone with either of her sisters; he had always seemed to like them. Noticing the withering look that his wife was giving him, Lucas reconsidered his words as he offered;

"Look, I'm sorry to have spoken to you that harshly, it's just that I've never gone in for all of those fancy ceremonies and what have you. Not to mention, Dara and I had already discussed this and I thought that we had it settled, it's just upsetting to have our decision suddenly changed around."

With that he turned on his heel and left the room to make his way downstairs as Kara turned to her sister in concern;

"I didn't mean to offend him, should I go and apologize to him?"

Shaking her head, uncertain herself as to exactly what had brought about her husband's change in temper, Dara stated;

"No, just leave it alone right now and I'll talk to him later."

Quickly, Lucas made his way downstairs in search of his grandmother, finding her in the kitchen and making certain that there was no one else in the vicinity, he motioned for her to join him outside in the garden swing. Once she had settled herself on the bench, Lucilla demanded impatiently;

"Alright, boy, what's on your mind?"

Sighing as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration, Lucas ground out;

"She's considering having all three babies christened."

The disbelief rising in her eyes, Lucilla stared as she exclaimed;

"She can't do that, do you have any idea just EXACTLY what would happen if she does?"

Crossing his arms over his chest, Lucas glanced over his shoulder as he nodded;

"Yeah, I have an idea, Mama."

Lucilla stopped to consider for a moment; no child born with Buck blood flowing through their veins had ever been christened. Oh, the women, like herself and she was certain, Dara, had, but not the offspring; there were simply too many dangers involved. It was one thing to ignore and insult someone, but to do it in their own house was stupidity, which is what it would be to have the children christened. Finally, shaking her head in dismay, Lucilla stated;

"You have to stop her."

Placing his hands on his hips in agitation, Lucas glared at her as he asked sarcastically;

"Oh, really, Mama. I would never have thought of that, now just how in the hell do you propose that I do that?"

Meeting his frustrated glare with a look of her own, Lucilla advised;

"You're going to have to tell her."

Shaking his head vehemently, Lucas glared;

"Not on you life, if she ever finds out she'll leave and take the kids with her, even Caleb, and since she's legally his mother now, she can do it?"

Furrowing her brow in concentration, her eyes suddenly lit up with an idea. Lucas, seeing the look, asked hopefully;

"You've thought of something?"

Nodding, Lucilla offered;

"Yes, I have, and you won't have to tell her."

Nodding eagerly, Lucas demanded;

"Alright, what do I do?"

Smiling, Lucilla shrugged;

"Simple, you just need to reason with her."

His face registering his disbelief of her statement, Lucas demanded;

"What do you mean, 'reason with her'? I can't give her a good reason not to do it and, aside from telling her the EXACT reason why, that means we're right back at square one."

Shaking her head, Lucilla clarified;

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but she's much more reasonable when she's asleep, right?"

Comprehension dawning, Lucas nodded as he ventured;

"I can convince her that it's her idea and then, I won't have to say a word."

Patting his arm, Lucilla praised;

"Now you're catching on."

Her face taking on a stern look, she advised;

"But wait until tonight when everyone else is in bed. You can't afford to be interrupted, too much is riding on this."

Nodding his agreement, Lucas considered a moment as a concern crossed his mind;

"What if she's not exactly sound asleep? I mean, with her resting as much as she has and she's a light sleeper anyway, she might remember."

Shaking her head, Lucilla offered;

"I'll make up a little 'night cap' for her tonight, and you just make sure that she drinks it. She'll sleep until the morning and whatever happens she won't remember it, I promise. I'll take care of the babies tonight, just make sure that she nurses Rinie before you give it to her."

Glancing at her cautiously, Lucas asked;

"It won't hurt her, will it?"

The hurt she felt at his mistrust showing in her eyes, Lucilla admonished;

"You know better than that, boy. I wouldn't hurt that girl for anything. No, it won't hurt her, it'll just make your job a little easier."

Seeing that he was debating the issue, she reasoned;

"Look, Lucas, you have exactly two choices; either you can tell her everything, which you seem reluctant to do, or, you can do it this way., but, you can't have it both ways. One thing is for sure though, you can't let her have those babies christened."

Nodding, Lucas agreed;

"You're right, let's do it your way."

Satisfied that he had made the best decision, given the circumstances, he went back inside, muttering to himself;

"Dara, darlin, I hope that if you ever find out about this, that you'll understand."

Doing as Lucilla had advised, Lucas made certain that he was the next to last person to go upstairs, under the pretense of going to bed. The last, of course, would be Lucilla who would make sure all traces of what they were about to do would be cleansed up and removed. Making his way to the nursery after Dara's family had bid him good night and closed their bedroom doors, he was just in time to find Rinie awake. Carefully, he took her from her crib to hold her close as he whispered;

"Come on, little one, we need to let Mama feed you for the night."

As with the twins, Dara had decided to breast feed Rinie, however, this time seemed to be much easier on her, as well as being able to pump enough milk to ensure that there were bottle just in case she wasn't able to tend to the feedings herself. Opening their bedroom door, Lucas could see that Dara was still awake and watching television. Turning at the sound of the door opening and seeing her husband holding their daughter, she demanded in worry;

"She's alright, isn't she? I didn't hear her crying."

Nodding, Lucas offered;

"She's just fine, sweetheart, I went in to check on them before turning in and caught her before she could start. But I do think that she may be hungry."

Maneuvering so that her back was braced with some pillows and she was sitting up straighter, Dara held her arms open to take their child from Lucas' arms. Transfixed, Lucas couldn't help but watch, captivated, by the sight of his wife nursing their daughter. Although he had seen her do so often enough with the twins, he never seemed to cease to be amazed by the act, or by the sight of his wife's body. He couldn't help but shake his head at the memory of his wife's shyness. As with the twins she had quickly dropped the weight that she had gained during her pregnancy, as well as the stretch marks that had quickly faded after she gave birth, however, this time, there was the scar from her C-section that now marked her abdomen.

On her first day home, she had wanted to take a long shower, but with her injured ankle she was having great difficulty managing, seeing her dilemma, Lucas quickly took charge of the situation by helping her. Once she was finished he had taken her into their bedroom to help her dry off as she leaned against the dresser for support; when she glanced up into the huge mirror and caught sight of the scar, which wasn't quite healed as of yet. Lucas could see her embarrassment and self consciousness about the scar beginning as she snatched the towel from his hands to quickly wrap it around herself, muttering that she could finish.

Shaking his head vehemently, he gently unwrapped the towel and turned her to face him before kneeling down to look at the scar before, once more, standing as he placed his finger under her chin to lift her gaze to his as he softly stated;

"Darlin, don't you ever be ashamed of anything about your body around me. That scar will face away once it's healed and even if it doesn't, you're still the most beautiful woman that I've ever seen and nothing will ever change that. Do you understand me?"

Brushing at her cheek, Dara nodded as she wrapped her arms around him and buried head against his chest before vowing;

"I love you, you know that, don't you?"

Holding her close, Lucas smiled at her as he nodded;

"I could surely have guessed it by now."

Lucas found his focus brought back to the present as he noticed that she had finished nursing the baby and was gently patting her back. Waiting patiently until he heard the tiny gurgle and her mother had placed a gentle kiss on the infant's forehead as she handed the baby back to him, Lucas turned as he opened the door and offered, nonchalantly;

"Honey, I was thinking of getting myself a cup of coffee, would you like something to drink?"

Nodding as she straightened her down, Dara smiled;

"Yes, love, thank you, I would."

Once he had settled his daughter for the night and having made sure that the twins were settled at well, Lucas made his way to the kitchen to find his grandmother.

Hearing her grandson approach, Lucilla turned to ask;

"Has she already nursed the baby?"

Nodding, Lucas advised her;

"Yes and I made sure that Alex and Riesa are settled for the night too. I checked the fridge in the nursery and there's three bottles of milk that she pumped in there for Rinie, so we should be alright."

Sighing in relief, Lucilla nodded as she pointed out;

"Good, because once she drinks this and you do what you have to, she's going to be out for the rest of the night."

Seeing the inner turmoil raging inside of her grandson, Lucilla shook her head as she admonished;

"You can't back out now, boy. We don't have a choice and don't worry about it, she won't remember a thing. You just make certain that she thinks not christening those babies is her idea, that way she'll be more inclined to back her sisters down about it."

Lucas nodded as he asked;

"How are you going to give it to her?"

Having just determined that the concoction was ready, Lucilla reached for a mug and emptied the contents of a small pan into it. Once she had thoroughly washed the pan to remove any traces of its contents, she motioned towards the mug as she explained;

"I mixed it in a cup of hot chocolate, that way she won't notice the taste. You just make sure that you wash that cup out really good."

Remembering the excuse that he had given his wife for coming downstairs, Lucas poured himself a cup of coffee before turning to his grandmother to demand;

"You're sure that this won't hurt her?"

Nodding, Lucilla offered;

"The only thing that it will do is to put her out and make her forget whatever you do to convince her not to go through with the christenings. All that you have to do is to get her to drink it, don't worry about her finishing it, I added something to make sure that she would drink it all. Once you see her starting to get tired you just put her under and do your part to convince her, that will do the rest."

Sighing in resignation, Lucas took the cups in his hands as he exclaimed;

"Alright, dammit, let me get this over with."

Turning on his heel, he made his way upstairs to open his bedroom door carefully and offering his wife her cup with, what he hoped was, a convincing smile as he offered;

"Here you go, darlin."

A look of shocked pleasure crossing her face at his thoughtfulness, she confessed;

"Thank you, honey, I was wanting some cocoa."

Setting his own cup down, he positioned himself on the bed next to her as he watched her take a sip before motioning for her to move closer to him as he placed his arm around her before turning towards the TV. Noticing as she took up the mug again to take a long drink, he wasn't surprised when she offered;

"I don't know what you put in this, but this is good."

Watching as she finished the entire cup, he discreetly glanced down every few minutes to see her reaction and it wasn't very long before he noticed that she was beginning to yawn. Catching his perusal, Dara smiled sheepishly as she brought her hand up to her mouth to stifle another yawn as she confessed;

"I'm sorry, I guess that I'm more tired than what I thought. I just can't seem to stop yawning."

Nodding his understanding, Lucas offered;

"It's alright, darlin, you're probably just really tired. You're still recovering from having Rinie."

Lucas continued his perusal every few minutes until he noticed that she was having trouble keeping her eyes open with more and more difficulty. Seeing her level of drowsiness increasing, he braced himself for what he had to do as he turned towards her and gripped her arms gently to give her a slight shake until she opened her eyes quickly. Realizing that she was losing her struggle against the drowsiness that the cocoa had caused, he knew that now was the right time as he called;

"Dara?"

Opening her eyes slightly, she mumbled sleepily;

"What?"

Holding her firmly, Lucas ordered;

"Dara, look at me."

Opening her eyes a little wider, she sighed sleepily, unable to resist the pull of his gaze due to the drowsiness, she simply allowed herself to be drawn deeper into his gaze. Seeing by her expression that she was totally under his influence, Lucas asked quietly;

"Dara, darlin, can you hear me?"

Her eyes taking on a blank gaze she answered in a distant voice;

"Yes."

Seeing that she was fully entranced, he pushed forward with his intentions;

"Dara, you don't want to have the children christened, do you understand me?"

Her eyes still blank as she stared ahead, she asked;

"Why not?"

Shaking his head, Lucas couldn't help but think; _'Even like this, she's still stubborn'. _Sighing, he reiterated;

"Dara, YOU don't want to have the children christened. YOU don't think that it's a good idea, it's not what WE decided when they were born. If anyone insists that's what you'll tell them, do you understand me?"

Nodding, her voice distant and drowsy, she offered;

"Yes."

Hoping that he had accomplished his goal, Lucas pressed;

"What aren't we going to christen the children?"

Replying automatically, she answered his inquiry;

"Because I don't want them to be and it's not what we decided."

Nodding, Lucas praised;

"That's right, darlin. It's your idea not to go through with the christenings; understand?"

Continuing to stare ahead blankly, Dara nodded before replying;

"Yes."

Satisfied in his certainty that he had accomplished what he had set out to do, Lucas placed his hand along her cheek to stare deeply into her eyes, drawing her further into his gaze;

"Dara, I want you to go to sleep now, when you wake up in the morning you won't remember any of this. The only thing that you'll remember is that you decided that you didn't want to go through with having the children christened; do you understand?"

Nodding, she replied automatically;

"Yes."

With that he placed a kiss on her lips before softly ordering;

"Go to sleep now."

Watching as she closed her eyes and fell limp in his arms, Lucas, certain that she was sound asleep, shifted her to a reclining position before pulling the covers around her. Remembering his grandmother's words, he took both mugs and ventured to the kitchen to find Lucilla anxiously waiting for him. The worry obvious in her eyes, she asked anxiously;

"Well?"

Sighing as he nodded his head, he explained;

"She's out."

Making his way to the sink, he thoroughly washed the cups and placed them in the dishwasher as he grandmother came to stand next to him to demand;

"I know that she's out, but did you do it?"

Nodding, Lucas told her;

"Yes, she thinks that it's her idea not to have them christened, she shouldn't remember anything other than that."

Satisfied with his statement, she patted his arm comfortingly as she tried to comfort him;

"Quit fretting about it, this was the only choice you felt you had. Why don't you go on up and go to bed, I'll tend to the babies tonight."

Unable to deny the toll the evening had taken on him, Lucas sighed heavily as he nodded his agreement;

"Alright, goodnight then."

Returning to his bedroom, Lucas opened the door softly to make his way to stand next to the bed and watch his wife sleep. Bending over, he placed a kiss on her lips as he murmured;

"I do love you."

With that, he undressed and crawled into the bed next to his wife and, careful of her stomach, he pulled her close to him to feel her relax deeper as he settled her against him to follow her into sleep for the night.

Dara woke the next morning, feeling fully rested and ready to face the day. Once she had dressed she had insisted on going downstairs to eat breakfast, knowing that her family would be leaving in two days time. Lucas had tried to persuade her to stay in the bed for at least one more day, and although her ankle was still tender as was her stomach, she had still insisted on going downstairs. He had allowed her to attempt the stairs, but after a couple of steps he could see that she was having more difficulty than if he simply carried her downstairs. Ignoring her protests, he swung her up into his arms and finished descending the steps to carry her through to the dining room where everyone else was waiting; ignoring the stares he received as he settled her in her chair.

Hesitantly, Mara asked;

"I thought that Dara was going to stay in bed for another day or two."

Smiling ruefully, Lucas offered;

"So did I, but she insisted on coming down and since her ankle is still bothering her, it was just easier and less painful for her if I carried her."

Seeing that he had satisfied everyone's curiosity, he began filling his plate for the morning meal. He was concentrating on the stack of pancakes in front of him when he heard Kara ask;

"Are you going to call the preacher today about christening the kids?"

Both, Lucas and Lucilla glanced up, careful to mask their anxiety over her answer as Dara turned to her sister to shake her head;

"No, I thought about it last night and I've changed my mind. It wasn't what Lucas and I decided on when they were born, I think that we'll stick to our original plan and let them make up their own minds when they're older."

Glancing to his grandmother, Lucas found his own relief mirrored in her eyes as his sister in law's face took on a look of disbelief as Kara demanded;

"I thought that you were going to follow the family tradition?"

He couldn't deny his own relief as his wife turned to her sister, a look of irritation flashing in her eyes as her voice brooked a no nonsense tone as she replied;

"The decision as to how those children are raised belongs to me and Lucas and this is what we decided and I really don't appreciate being questioned about it."

Kara found herself taken back by her sister's statement as she stammered apologetically;

"I'm sorry, you're right of course, they are your children and it is your decision. I was just a little shocked by your decision, that's all."

Offering her sister a relenting smile, Dara nodded;

"It's alright, but that is our decision and I just ask that you respect it."

With that she began eating her own breakfast.

Two days later saw the departure of Dara's family and although he liked her family well enough, Lucas couldn't help but feel relief at the prospect of enjoying privacy with his family again, especially when Mama Lucy had pulled him aside after their departure to inform him;

"I think that it's about time that I was heading back home as well. You seem to have everything under control here and Dara's back on her feet now, so you don't really need me."

Nodding he offered his gratitude;

"Thank you for helping us out here, Mama."

Feeling that she couldn't leave without addressing the issue that had been plaguing the back of her mind, Lucilla ventured;

"You're more than welcome, boy. But, I have some advice for you; you can't keep her from finding out what's going on indefinitely. The twins are starting to walk now as well as being able to talk and when Rinie starts doing all of those things just as early, she's not going to buy that all three babies are THAT advanced. She's going to want some answers and I hope, for your sake, you have good ones to give her, because if you lose her, you'll lose the best part of yourself with her."

Narrowing his gaze at her audacity to address the issue of his marriage and his relationship with his wife, Lucas replied acidly;

"I have no intentions of losing her and I'll do what I have to in order to keep her."

Shaking her head sadly, Lucilla stated in a matter of fact tone;

"You may not have any say about keeping her if she ever realizes everything that you've kept hidden from her. She may well take the choice away with her."

Turning on her heel, she went upstairs to pack and prepare to leave; in less than an hour she was packed and prepared to leave as she said her goodbyes before departing. Once she had said her goodbyes to everyone and Lucas had closed the door to her taxi, he stood for a few minutes, pondering his grandmother's warning.


	34. Chapter 34

**CHAPTER 34 **

Having been pronounced, once more, healthy, Dara began focusing her energy and her attention on her family as well as helping during her free time at the Outreach Center. At Matt's suggestion, Dara had begun taking birth control pills, which found she and Lucas able to resume their nightly activities. Much to her relief, she found that after two years of marriage as well as two pregnancies, she and Lucas still seemed to share the same magic in their lovemaking as they had in the early days of their marriage. Dara found herself as happy as she thought possible, until she was faced with everything that her husband had tried to hide from her.

The revelation had come simple enough; she was feeding Riesa and Alex, both having been advanced to more solid foods. She had just placed a bowl of stew in front of them, both also having learned quickly how to use a spoon with very little fuss or mess, and she had turned her back to recover the pot on the stove when she heard a bowl hit the floor. Turning and noticing that it was Alex's bowl, she asked;

"What's the matter, sweetie, did you knock your bowl over?"

She had started to bend down to pick up the bowl when she noticed that Alex was focusing his gaze on the bowl as she started to reach for it and, before the realized it, with a slight move of the boy's head the bowl flew across the room. Rising quickly, her eyes wide in shock as she tried to comprehend what she had just witnessed, she found herself trying to grasp some type of logical explanation for what she had just seen. However, before she could formulate some type of reasonable explanation, she noticed that, Riesa, not to be outdone by her brother, stared at her own bowl before mimicking her brother by moving her head to the side and sending her bowl flying in the same direction, without even touching it. Staring at her children in disbelief, Dara demanded quietly;

"How in the world did you two do that?"

Taking both children from their high chairs, she took them upstairs to be changed and settled for their naps. Once she had fed Rinie and settled her as well, she made her way to her room to sit on the edge of the bed and began trying to fathom what had just transpired. Coming to the conclusion that she really couldn't think about it at the moment, she ventured downstairs to the living room. Her mind a swirl with turmoil and with no particular reason in mind, she decided to peruse the glass covered bookcases; searching for no particular thing, her eyes fell on a bright green book with a black spine.  
Narrowing her gaze, she ventured aloud;

"Strange, I don't remember ever seeing this book before."

She knew that it was highly possible that with the assortment of books in the house that it was quite possible for her to have simply missed this particular one. She as well as Lucas and Caleb were all voracious readers and each had a variety of tastes in reading material, curious, she took the book and, after opening the cover, determined that it was a photo album of some sort. Curiosity spurring her on, she went to the sofa and laid the book on the coffee table before opening it to search through the album's contents. Shrugging, she realized aloud;

"This must be an album of Lucas' family."

Although she wasn't certain why is had been placed where she had found it, especially since all of the other photo albums were grouped together in one section in another bookcase, she began studying the faded and yellowed photos and sketches. Finding her attention drawn to a photo of an old farmhouse, she took the photo from the album and studied it closer as an image flashed before her eyes. Dropping the photo, shocked by the realization that she was having some type of vision, Dara stared at the photo as if it were a snake. Realizing that it was the Temple farmhouse before it had been burned, she cautiously picked up the photo once more as another image came to her, this time in a complete picture. However, this image was one that she wished with all of her heart that she had not seen; a young girl, who she recognized as Merlyn Temple, was lying on a bed when Lucas entered and placed his hands gently on either side of her head before twisting it, effectively breaking her neck.

Throwing the photo down, not believing what she has just seen, she quickly turned the page and came across another photo of Lucas as a teenager. Studying the photo, she found herself witnessing a scene between he and his grandmother; he was sitting on a bench as she instructed him. Watching as he focused his attention on the glass that was sitting on the table in front of him, she saw him send the glass flying against the tree in front of the table.

Turning the page once more, unable to stop herself, she came to a photo of, who she assumed to be, Gabriel Buck. Narrowing her eyes as she focused on the photo, she watched in dawning horror as she saw Lucas force the poison down his father's throat as he watched him die. Finding her mind straining to comprehend what she had just discovered, she slammed the book shut before shaking her head vehemently as she plead aloud in a desperate voice as her tears began falling, unnoticed;

"Dear God, it can't be! I'm wrong, it can't be true?"

Reigning her panic in, she stopped to consider what course of action she should take when she heard the front door open as Caleb came in from school. Meeting him in the hallway, she spoke quickly as she pushed him up the stairs;

Caleb, I want you to pack a bag; hurry! When you're finished, I need you to help me with the babies."

His eyes reflecting his puzzlement as he looked at her strangely, he asked;

"Mama, why do we need to pack; what's the matter?"

Shaking her head, Dara pleaded;

"Honey, please, I can't explain right now. But, we have to hurry, alright?"

Hurrying to her room, she quickly packed her own clothes, and, before she could think about it, the photo on her bedside table of her family. Making her way across the hallway to the nursery, she quickly packed the babies' things as Caleb entered to set his suitcase by the doorway before asking;

"What do you need me to do, Mama."

Although he wasn't certain as to what had happened to elicit the reaction he was seeing from his mother, but, he knew that, for her to act as she was, it was something serious. While he might not understand what was going on, he knew that his mother would gladly give her life to protect he and his siblings, so if she felt this was the best course of action for them to take, then he trusted her decision implicitly. Catching the set of car keys that she tossed at him, Caleb paid close attention as she rattled off a list;

"Please put these things in the car, MY car, not the new one. Put the baby seats in there too and please hurry."

Rushing downstairs with the bags, Caleb hurried to do as his mother had asked and returning within a few minutes he finished loading the car before returning to help her carry the babies downstairs. Once they had been secured in their car seats she quickly started the car as she checked her watch to sigh in reserved relief as she noticed that it was only four P.M. Lucas didn't usually come home until after five or six in the evening. Noticing Caleb's glance of uncertainty, she wasn't shocked when he asked hesitantly;

"Mama, where are we going and why the big hurry?"

She knew that she had to give him an explanation, but she also knew that, with everything he had been through, she needed to be cautious as to what she explained and how she explained it. Finally, she offered;

"Caleb, honey, I'm sorry, but for right now we need to get away from your father for a little while. I feel like it's for the best but I also won't keep you from him if that's what you want; I'll leave the choice up to you."

Considering her statement, he shook his head as he vowed;

"No, Mama, I want to stay with you."

Confusion marring his young face, he pondered;

"But where are we going to stay?"

Dara sat still for a moment as she considered her options. She had kept her house by the river and, knowing that her choices were limited, she put the car in gear as she headed in that direction.

Sensing that something was wrong the minute that he entered his house, Lucas began searching. Checking upstairs first he discovered that the drawers of the dressers in his and Dara's room had been left open as well as most of her things from the closet missing, as well as the photo that she kept on her side of their bed of their family missing too. Moving across the hall to the nursery he discovered that most of the baby things were gone before he moved on to Caleb's room to find a good portion of his things missing too. It wasn't hard to realize that his wife had left and rather quickly, the only thing he couldn't understand was the reason why.

Hurrying downstairs to the kitchen, he stopped and closed his eyes as he saw the scene that had unfolded earlier. He couldn't help but emit a sigh of frustration, still unable to fathom her reason; he knew that the twins showing their abilities would probably spook her, but not enough to make her pack and leave. Making his way to the living room, he found the final key to the mystery laying on the coffee table.

Quickly crossing the space he found the three photos that Dara has 'seen' earlier and taking the photos in his hands, he closed his eyes and recalled the images of his wife's reaction to the images that each photo had brought forth. His eyes snapping open in dawning horror, he swore;

"DAMN!"

He quickly realized that everything that he had tried to protect her from finding out had just come full circle to slap him in his face. Not to mention the fact that he had severely underestimated his wife's abilities, having never considered the possibility of her 'seeing' the photos the way that he and his grandmother could. Shoving the photos in the book he slammed the cover shut before opening a drawer to shove the book inside it before slamming it shut. Stating aloud, he vowed;

"If it's the last thing that I do, I'm going to burn that damned book."

With that he stalked out the front door to go in search of his family.

Dara found herself infinitely grateful that she had maintained the utilities as well as keeping the house itself properly maintained. She had left most of the furniture as it was since she had intended for the house to be used in the Summer and on the weekends or when her family visited, but in any event she was glad that she had kept the house. Having stopped by the grocery store and buying the necessities, she pulled into the driveway and, with Caleb's help, she had everything unloaded and gotten the babies settled for the night.

While Caleb was taking his shower, Dara was busy stocking the cabinets in the kitchen. She had just opened the door to the refrigerator to remove a pitcher of tea to pour herself a glass, when she pushed the door closed it was to find Lucas standing behind it. Yelping in surprise, Dara dropped the pitcher which he caught before it could spill more than a drop or two. Setting the container on the counter top, he felt a knifing pain in his heart as she backed into the corner of the counter with fear in her eyes.

One of the most precious things in their marriage was the fact that Dara had always trusted him and had never questioned him. Now, seeing the fear instead of love in her eyes was the worst punishment that he could have been dealt. Shaking his head as he lowered it to sigh in misery, he stated simply;

"I'm not going to pretend that I don't understand why you left; I found the book and I know what happened with Alex and Riesa today. I had hoped that you would never find out about any of what you 'saw', but, I didn't think that you could really 'see' pictures in that way. All that I can say is that I'm sorry and that I love you."

The tears began streaming down her face as she swallowed the lump in her throat to lock eyes with him as she sadly accused;

"You lied to me; that was why you wanted me to drop my research about Merlyn Temple, wasn't it? I can almost understand what you did to your father, I've heard the stories about him and I know what the 'accident' was that gave you that scar, but just what in Heaven's name did that poor girl do to deserve what you did to her?"

Taking a deep breath, Lucas explained;

"I thought that I was putting her out of her misery; she was already mentally handicapped and Gage did a real number when he bashed her head in with that shovel. Her best case scenario was that she would have been in a vegetative state for the rest of her life; I thought that I was being kind."

His features hardening, he narrowed his eyes;

"As far as my father goes; yes, that's nine-tenths of the reason that I did what I did. The other reason was because I was tired of him coming home, drunk, and deciding to 'punish' me, not to mention the misery that he caused to everyone that he came into contact with."

Shaking his head, the raw honesty showing in his eyes, Lucas offered;

"Dara, darlin, I'm truly sorry and I wish that I could change the past, if for no other reason than to spare you the pain of my actions, but I cant. And, maybe I should have been brutally honest and told you, but I can't change that either. You asked me for two promises when we married and I've kept both as well as trying my damnedest to be a better man who deserves to have you as his wife. I can't change the past, all I can do is to say that I'm sorry and beg you to come back."

Shaking her head as the tears continued to fall, unchecked, she accused in a soft voice;

"All of the whispers and all of the innuendos; what else don't I know about, how many other things did you hide from me? I trusted you and you made a fool of me. I've overlooked things that I knew, were to say the least, odd. But, I accepted that as being a part of who you are."

Sighing heavily, her eyes showing the raw and naked pain that was tearing at her heart, she shook her head as she spread her hands wide in despair;

"But, Lucas, I don't know if I can accept this. I'm sorry, but I need some time to figure everything out."

Having heard voices, Caleb chose that moment to enter the kitchen and seeing his father standing there, his eyes widened in concern as he turned to his mother;

"Mama, are you alright?"

Continuing to pin his wife with his eyes, Lucas, without turning in the boy's direction, ordered his son;

"She's fine, Caleb, go on in the other room so that your mother and I can talk."

Glancing to his mother questioningly, Dara could see the worry in his face as she nodded;

"Do as your father says, Caleb, go on, sweetie, I'm fine."

Standing, as if rooted to the spot in indecision, Caleb finally shrugged before turning to go back to the living room. Waiting a few minutes until he heard the television come to life, Lucas narrowed his gaze as he challenged dangerously;

"You know that I can make you come back, don't you?"

Nodding slowly as she pushed the fear that she felt welling inside of her back down, Dara confessed;

"Yes, I know that you could. But deep down, I don't think that you want me to come back to you unless it's on my own. You didn't fall in love with a puppet and I don't think that's what you want now."

Sighing dejectedly as he realized the truth of her statement, Lucas begged;

"What else do you want me to do, Dara? Do you want me on my knees, begging for forgiveness? What will it take to get you back where you belong; with me?"

Closing her eyes as pain tore at her heart at his plea, Dara shook her head sadly as she asking imploringly;

"Don't you understand? It's not a matter of you doing anything, it's a matter of my being able to accept what you've already done."

Crossing the space between them in the blink of an eye, Lucas grabbed her by her arms as he ground out beseechingly;

"Please, let's just forget all of this and get the kids and go home."

Seeing the frantic look in his eyes, Dara shook her head as she stated miserably;

"Lucas, don't you think that I would love to forget what I've seen and know, but I can't. If it was just me then I could probably do just that, especially given the fact that I can't simply close off the part of my heart that belongs to you and how much the idea of being away from you hurts. But, I have four other lives to consider and I have to do what's best for them, no matter how much pain it costs me."

A flash of anger slashing through her eyes, she fumed;

"You never breathed a word about what to expect with our children; you knew the whole time that Alex and Riesa's 'accomplishments' were more than just them being advanced. Didn't you think that I had a right to know? I'm their mother dammit; just how did you plan on explaining it when Rinie began doing everything early as well; especially throwing things across a room without ever touching them?"

Hanging his head in shame and remorse, Lucas slacked his grip on her arms before pulling her to him fiercely as he shut his eyes tightly to beg softly;

"Please, darlin, please don't do this. I'm begging you, Dara, please don't take away our family. I can't stand the idea of living without you and the kids; I need you with me, don't do this to us, to our family, baby, please don't."

Dara could feel her inner turmoil as, being held tightly in her husband's arms, she fought her desire to do as he asked and simply ignore what she now knew. However, her maternal instincts rising to the surface, she knew that she had to be strong for her children as she broke free of his embrace to step back, tears streaming down her face as she shook her head dismally;

"I'm sorry, I just can't. I need some time to think; I won't keep the children from seeing you and I won't breathe one word about what I 'saw'. But, I just don't know if I can live with you now, knowing what I do anymore."

Sadly, Lucas nodded his head;

"Alright, I'll give you time if that's what you need. But, just please tell me that there's hope."

Shaking her head, Dara rationalized in a soft, sad voice;

"I'm sorry, but I can't promise you that when I don't even know it for myself right now."

Unable to prevent the anger from welling inside of himself, Lucas glared at his wife as he stated;

"Fine."

With that he stalked out of the house, leaving her weeping sadly. Having heard the exchange from the next room, Caleb decided to give his mother some privacy as he shook his head in sympathy before making his way upstairs to bed, muttering aloud;

"Poor Mama."

Deciding that home was the last place he wanted to be, Lucas drove around for a while before turning in the direction of the Sheriff's Department. Lucas knew that Floyd had the desk and wasn't shocked to find him asleep, leaning back propped in his chair with his feet on the desk when he walked in. Coming around the counter, silently, he kicked the chair leg out from underneath Floyd to bring him to land on his backside, startling him awake. Staring up into Lucas' angry face, he found himself petrified by the wrath he saw flashing through his boss' eyes as he demanded in a sharp tone;

"Is that what Fulton County pays you for, Floyd; to nap?"

Quickly, Floyd regained his feet to offer sheepishly;

"Sorry, Lucas, it's been real quiet and slow."

Motioning towards the door, Lucas ordered brusquely;

"Go do a patrol, I'll be here for a while."

Nodding, Floyd grabbed his keys. Assuming that, for Lucas to be here at this time of night when there wasn't any type of emergency situation, there must be trouble at home with Dara. Not wanting to catch anymore of Lucas' anger over, whatever, the trouble was, Floyd quickly made a beeline for the door to get out of the storm of Lucas' obvious anger.

Entering his office, Lucas closed and locked the door behind him before taking his chair behind his desk. Leaning back, he began contemplating his options which, he had to admit, weren't many. He knew that, given Dara's stubborn nature, she had meant what she had said; she wouldn't return until she had come to grips with what she now knew. Cursing himself for not following his grandmother's advice and telling his wife sooner of what she had learned for herself; he knew that she felt betrayed in the fact that she had given him her full and complete trust and, as she saw it, he had violated her faith in him.

Glancing over the top of his desk, his eyes fell on the photo of his wife taken on their wedding day, as well as the more recent ones of their entire family and the one of the two of them together. Deciding that he simply couldn't withstand the temptation any longer, he glanced at his desk clock and seeing that it said eleven, he knew that she would have finished nursing Rinie and have Alex and Riesa settled for the night by this time as she prepared to climb into bed to ensure that she was up for Rinie's next feeding. Closing his eyes, he concentrated and allowed himself to drift as he found her; he had been right, she was on the verge of sleep. Delving deeper into himself, he set about his purpose.

Having exhausted her tears, Dara went to check on her children and, after having made certain that Caleb as well as Alex and Riesa were tucked in and warm enough, she took Rinie from her bassinet. Seeing that the infant was on the verge of crying, ready for her feeding, she satisfied her child's hunger before changing her and settling her back in her bassinet. Taking a quick shower she found that she was exhausted, both mentally and physically as she climbed into her old bed before closing her eyes and dimly realizing that finding sleep was proving easier than she had hoped given the events of the day.

That's when the dreams began; in her dream she awoke to find her husband lying next to her. Just as she was about to say something, he placed his finger against her lips to silence her as he descended to take possession of her mouth with his. When she reached out to make an effort to push him away, she felt both of her hands being held in his larger ones as he raised her arms over her head and pinned them there by firmly holding both of her wrists in one hand as he lowered his head to reclaim her mouth. At first, he kissed her gently until he found his passions rising and began gradually increasing his demands until she was meeting his responses with ones of her own. Unable to resist the sweet scent of her that he had always found so intoxicating, he buried his head against her shoulder as he inhaled deeply allowing himself to become drunk on the scent of her hair before trailing the length of her throat, down past her collarbone to her breast.

Finding herself lost in her desire for her husband, Dara found herself shocked back to reality as the images she had seen in the photos that day intruded into her mind to flash in front of her. Jerking her hands free and pushing herself away, she sat up and opened her eyes to find the specter of her husband gone. Realizing that it was dream she hit the mattress in frustration a her mind's betrayal when she noticed that the front of her gown was damp. Quietly, she made her way to the bathroom and closed the door before turning on the light, when she turned towards the mirror she gasped as she realized that her gown was damp due to the milk that had seeped form her breasts.

Shocked, she voiced her thoughts aloud;

"That's impossible, I just fed her an hour ago and I couldn't be leaking milk, not unless..."

Leaving the thought unspoken as she remembered the specter of her husband, gently taking her breasts in his mouth, then, remembering another part of the dream, she stepped closer to the mirror to pull her long hair away from her neck; there, on the side of her throat was a bite mark. Remembering the feel of his teeth nibbling at her throat, Dara glared in frustration at herself as she swore aloud;

"Damn him!"

Turning she pulled the gown over her head and made her way back to the bedroom to find a clean gown before making her way to the living room to watch TV, deciding that she wasn't about to give Lucas another opportunity to visit her in her dreams.

Opening his eyes, Lucas knew she was awake; he also knew that she wouldn't be going back to sleep that night. Deciding to go home and rest, at least as well as he was able to without his family under his roof, especially his wife by his side, Lucas left the station as he headed in the direction of his house, dreading the idea of sleeping in their bed alone. Stepping onto the porch he began searching for the door key when he found himself shocked to see it swing wide open as his grandmother stood there, her hands on her hips, glaring at him as she stated, rather than asked, accusingly;

"You let her get away, didn't you, boy?"

Scowling at the old woman darkly, Lucas shook his head;

"Not now, Mama, I can promise you that I am in no way in the mood for your, 'I told you so's', so just drop it."

Walking past her, he left her to trail behind him in his wake as he made his way to his bedroom. Leaning against the doorway, Lucilla crossed her arms over her chest as she demanded;

"Well, are you going to tell me how she found out, or not?"

Running his hand through his hair in frustration as he sank into the rocking chair in the room, Lucas sighed in frustration as he confessed;

"Apparently, my wife appears to have a few 'gifts' of her own."

Uncomprehending, Lucilla shook her head;

"What do you mean, 'gifts'?"

Turning to face her, Lucas sneered;

"She found that damn book and 'saw' the pictures."

Gaping at him in shock, Lucilla asked incredulously;

"Do you mean to tell me that Dara can 'see' them the way that we can 'see' them?"

Nodding, he replied;

"Apparently so."

Narrowing her gaze she pressed;

"Did you have ANY idea at all that she might have abilities of her own? I mean ANY hint at all?"

Turning to his grandmother as he leaned forward to brace his arms across his knees, Lucas confessed;

"Yes and no. When she gave birth to the twins, you know she had a bad time, especially with Riesa. Well, her BP dropped and her heart beat became erratic, Crower couldn't do anything because we weren't in the hospital. At one point, Rita said that we were losing her and you could see she was fading, but, by some miracle everything went back to normal. Later, in the hospital after they had her settled and had given her something for the pain, she asked me if Gwenna had seen the babies. She said that her mother was there that she had told her that it wasn't her time that she had two babies who needed us both."

Her face filled with shock, Lucilla asked in a quiet tone;

"So you're telling me that Dara could SEE her mother?"

Nodding, Lucas spread his hands in a pleading manner;

"Yes, but Mama, I honestly thought that it was just because she was so close to the spirit world herself and because her mother had always been the one to bring her comfort before we were married."

Shaking her head, Lucilla ventured;

"Well, I think that, in Dara's case, her ability to do that was obviously more than simply being close to the Pearly Gates herself."

Turning to her grandson in concern, seeing the pain he was trying to hide at his wife and children's absence, Lucilla asked quietly in a sympathetic tone;

"What are you going to do, Lucas?"

Shrugging, Lucas shook his head;

"I don't know what I'm going to do, Mama. She says that she needs some time to come to grips with everything she found out."

Sighing, Lucilla ventured;

"She feels like you betrayed her trust, doesn't she?"

Nodding his head dejectedly, Lucas offered tritely;

"Yes, plus the twins decided to show off a little today and that's when all of the pieces seemed to fall into place for her."

Quietly, Lucilla suggested;

"We could make her forget what she knows."

Shaking his head vehemently, Lucas stamped her suggestion down;

"No, I don't want to consider that. I want her back on her own because she loves me."

Narrowing her gaze, Lucilla demanded accusingly;

"So is that why you decided to pay her a little 'visit' tonight?"

Shrugging, Lucas offered nonchalantly;

"I said that I want her back on her own, Mama, but I didn't say that I wasn't willing to give her a little 'push' in the right direction."

Motioning for his grandmother to leave the room, Lucas undressed and slid under the covers, turning his head to study the empty spot next to him. He couldn't, for the life of him, fathom how it was that, for a woman so small, her side of the bed seemed even larger without her presence to fill the space.

Having decided that the less she relied on financial support from Lucas the better, not wanting to give him any type of false hope when she still wasn't certain herself about their situation. Dara felt that, by supporting she and their children herself, she was delivering a clear message that she couldn't be forced into a corner, especially a financial one. The only slight compromise that she had relented on was withdrawing the original amount that she had deposited into their joint account from her mother's life insurance and the savings that she had when they had married as well as opening a separate account with the excuse that, with the Outreach Center still struggling, the ability to write checks for expenses on an individual account would be less problematic than if she did so from their joint account. Since the accounts remained at the same bank and a joint account was still held between the two of them, no one openly suspected that Sheriff Buck and his wife were having marital difficulties.

Dara found herself infinitely relieved that, after lengthy discussions with the administration of the hospital, they were more than happy to allow her to return to her counseling on a part time basis. Although he was happy to have his friend back, Matt knew that the separation was taking it's toll on her, especially given how tired and depressed she appeared to be. When he would try to open the door to try and discuss it with her, she would simply shrug and explain;

"I have an eight week old child who is nursing; I don't get very much sleep at nights."

While part of her explanation was true; she was till nursing Rinie, what she neglected to divulge was the fact that Rinie had started sleeping through the night. The TRUE reason for her wakefulness these days was due to the frequent visits that her husband continued to pay her in her dreams. The evidence of the toll that his nightly forays into her subconscious were taking on her, hit Lucas full force about two weeks into their separation.

Feeling as if he had respected her wishes for 'space' to sort through everything, Lucas entered her office one morning, having grown impatient and deciding that he would try to persuade her to return home. Although he hadn't been shocked by her decision to return to work, her decision to place the younger children in daycare had greatly upset him. However, knowing that she preferred keeping the children close to her, he had left the subject unmentioned. Stopping short as he opened her office door, he had to steel himself for the purpose of his visit as she looked up from her desk. He found himself shocked by the dark circles ringing her eyes, something that she had been unable to conceal with makeup, he couldn't help but feel even more pangs of guilt as she sighed despondently at the sight of him before demanding;

"What do you want, Lucas?"

Crossing the space to sit on the corner of her desk, he placed his hand along her cheek as he stated softly;

"I think that you know what I want, darlin."

Her eyes flashing her determination, Dara brought her hand up to remove his from her face before meeting his look to reply;

"I told you, I need some..."

His agitation flaring, Lucas stood abruptly to tower over her as he snarled;

"I know, 'time'. Just exactly how the hell much time do you think that you'll require to sort his all out? I've been patient for the past couple of weeks, Dara, but I'm warning you, my patience are wearing thin."

Narrowing her gaze as she slowly rose from her chair, he could tell that he was about to catch the sharp side of her anger as she spoke in a deceptively calm tone;

"Don't you dare give me an ultimatum, Lucas Buck. You have played me for a fool for over two years and then you have the nerve to tell me that your patience are wearing thin? Really? Let ME warn YOU, pushing me would be the worst mistake that you could make right now. Don't think that I wouldn't file for a divorce."

His own eyes smoldering with a cross between fear and anger, he glared at her as he warned;

"I told you before we got married that there would NEVER be a divorce."

Crossing her arms over her chest in determined defiance, she returned the challenge as she stated in a soft tone tinged with a slight bit of pleading;

"Then don't push me in that direction, Lucas, for the sake of us all."

His chest rising and falling heavily with his effort to rein in his temper, Lucas ran his hand through his hair in agitation as he pleaded;

"Dammit, Dara! How stubborn can you possibly be? What else can I do to show you just how sorry I truly am, or the fact that I've left you alone all of this time? I've given you your 'space', what else can I do?"

Staring at him in disbelief, Dara demanded in an incredulous voice;

"You've left me alone? You've given me my space? So why is it that when I close my eyes at night, you're there; would you care to explain that one to me?"

Realizing that he was about to be called out for his actions, Lucas answered quickly in the hopes of steering the subject away from her present line of thought as he rushed;

"Those are your dreams, Dara, maybe you should listen to them."

Shaking her head in agitation, Dara pulled her hair away from the side of her neck, since she hadn't felt up to dealing with the long mass that day, to expose the bite marks that kept appearing on her neck after each dream to demand sarcastically;

"Oh really, would you care to explain then just how I got these marks then? Or how about explaining why it is that, after I have a dream about you, I always have to change my nightgown since my milk seems to leak all over it when there's no earthly reason for that to have happened. That is of course, unless someone other than Rinie has been putting their mouth on my breasts."

Although his guilt was highly evident on his face and in his eyes, Lucas remained silent as she sighed;

"I know what you're doing, Lucas, remember? I've been on this particular merry go round before, you know, life before we were married."

Holding his hands up in a surrendering gesture, Lucas pleaded;

"Alright, you're right. I am coming to you at night in your dreams, it's the only way that I can get close to you. Baby, I can't stand not having you next to me at night, or not being able to touch you; Dara, isn't that torture enough for you? Not to mention I miss putting our children to bed at night, seeing them when I wake up in the morning; honey, I can't stand this."

Sighing at his confession, Dara shook her head in sorrow;

"Lucas, I don't want to torture you. And believe me, it's just as much torture for me as it is for you, more so for me. Do you have any idea what it's like to see the confusion on the kid's faces everyday when they don't see Daddy? Do you really think that I particularly enjoy that?"

His voice imploring, he begged;

"Then solve the problem and come home."

Shaking her head in misery, Dara pleaded.

"Please, understand that I can't right now; I have to sort through all of this. It's not like you simply lied to me or misled me, although you did both; but you've committed one of the most unspeakable acts possible to perform; twice. Not to mention neglecting to tell me just why it is that our children are able to do the things that they are doing. I've got to sort my feelings out about all of it and even then, I'm not promising that I can come back to you; right now, I just don't know. Believe me, I wish, with all of my heart, that I could forget what I know and just go back like we were, but I can't."

Taking her hands in his, Lucas knelt down and drug her down with him to settle her in her desk chair as he nodded anxiously before offering, with hope brimming in his voice;

"Yes you can. I can make you forget it and then we can go back to our life the way it was. Let me make you forget, honey, that will solve everything."

Staring at him in disbelief, especially given his frantic pleas, Dara pulled her hands free from his grasp before shaking her head and simply stating;

"No."

Dara couldn't help but feel her heart shattering as his look of hopefulness disappeared, however, her pain soon turned to anxiety and fear as a look of anger came to his features as he rose to tower of her before stating hotly;

"Fine, just remember that you asked for this."

Turning towards the door he was about to pull it closed behind him as he turned to glare at her over his shoulder before sneering;

"Mrs. Buck."

Dara sat at her desk, staring after him as he slammed the door behind him. Shaking her head in dread, she asked aloud;

"Dear God, what is he going to do?"

Dara felt as if she had waited for a lifetime of some indication of Lucas' intentions, however, the reality was that it had only been two days when she received her answer. She was in her office when she heard a knock, bidding the person to enter, a young man came in and asked formally;

"Mrs. Dara Chambers Buck?"

Glancing up from her paperwork in uncertainty, Dara answered;

"Yes."

Crossing to her desk, he handed her a paper and, turning, offered;

"Have a nice day, ma'am."

Pulling the door closed behind him, he left as Dara glanced at the papers in a combination of curiosity and dread as she turned the document over and found herself staring in horror as she read the works in bold print;

**LUCAS BUCK VS. DARA CHAMBERS BUCK. RE: CUSTODY HEARING.**

Opening the document, she quickly glanced through the contents to learn that Lucas was petitioning to be given full custody of all four of their children, although she could find no reason stating his motivation for the litigation. Dara sat back and realized that, if this did go to court, she could well find her hands tied; having people more than willing to lend a hand or offer to help Sheriff Buck's wife, was one thing. But, finding a lawyer who would be willing to go up against Sheriff Buck by defending his wife in a custody hearing, was another matter entirely.

Finding her fear quickly fading to give way to her fury at the gall he possessed to do this, she snatched the phone from its cradle and was about to dial her husband's office number. Then, reconsidering, she slammed the receiver back into its cradle before grabbing her purse and the summons as she decided to pay her husband a visit in person.

Knowing that Lucas and Dara were separated by his boss' attitude, Ben found himself smiling in relief when he saw Dara walk through the entrance door, that was until he saw the anger in her eyes, making them glow almost a bright emerald green as well as the angry tone in her voice as she demanded;

"Where is he?"

Choosing to remain silent, Ben motioned towards the door as Dara offered a curt;

"Thank you."

As she marched past him to barge in Lucas' private office before slamming the door with enough force to rattle all of the windows in the building. Shocked by the whirlwind that his wife had created by her entrance, Lucas glanced up and, noticing the daggers that she was glaring through him, he asked innocently;

"Is there something that I can do for you, Mrs. Buck?"

Unimpressed by his attitude, Dara leveled;

"Yes, as a matter of fact there is; two things. First, cut your damned sarcasm, now is not the time for it."

Approaching his desk, she slammed the summons on it before continuing;

"And two, you can tell me just exactly what the hell you were thinking to send me that."

Picking up the summons, Lucas examined it before stating calmly;

"Is appears that I'm petitioning the court for temporary custody of our children. I figured that, seeing how you seem to need some time to sort out your thoughts and feelings, the best place for them would be with me."

Shaking her head vehemently, Dara fumed;

"I don't think so, Lucas; you're not taking those children away from me."

Shrugging, Lucas challenged;

"Well, dear, whats the difference? You seem determined to split our family apart, so I'm just giving you a helping hand."

Narrowing her gaze as her chest heaved with her attempts to contain her emotions, Dara asked quietly;

"How can you be so hateful and mean?"

Leaning forward, Lucas crossed his arms on his desktop as he challenged;

"You know something, lady? I might ask you that very same question. I've been patient and tried to understand and to give you your 'space'. Yes, I admit that I've come to you in your dreams at night, but you knew when I asked you to marry me what I was and, even before I said a word, you knew. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you what to expect with the kids, but considering I wasn't fully certain myself in that department, I didn't see any sense in worrying you unnecessarily until I knew there was something to worry about. I never set out to make a fool of you and I'm sorry that you feel that way. And before you ask; yes, I'm sorry for Merlyn Temple, I truly thought I was being merciful to her considering her condition before Gage bashed her in the head with a shovel, her condition afterwards would have meant nothing but a horrible life for that girl."

His tone hardening considerably as did his features, he narrowed his gaze;

"My father; I'd be lying if I said that I was sorry for that bastard. I had my fill of his 'punishments' and I knew that it was coming down to either me or him. So, chock up the blood of two people to my hands, but, darlin, you seem to conveniently forget that there are two other people whose death I'm responsible for. Of course, that was because one had tried to kill you and Alex and Riesa when you were pregnant with them and the other had kidnapped you and was trying to force an abortion when you were carrying Rinie. But I guess that's different, right?"

Dara sat, silent for a moment, before lowering her head as the tears began pouring from her eyes as the full impact of the truth of his statement hit her. Although he wasn't shocked by the fact that she began sobbing when she lowered her head, Lucas couldn't push down the pain he felt tearing at his heart at the sight of his wife with tears in her eyes as he rose from his chair to come around his desk to swear;

"Damn!"

Kneeling down, seeking to offer her comfort, he pulled her to him. He wasn't shocked when, at first, she tried to resist his attempt, but, finally, she allowed him to wrap his arms around her as she laid her head against his chest to let the tears fall freely. Lucas couldn't deny feeling as if a knife had been twisted in his gut by the realization of, just how much he had truly hurt the woman he was now holding; the woman that he had sworn to love and protect until his dying breath. Stroking her hair, trying to comfort her, he shook his head as he realized;

"I'm sorry, darlin. Since I first laid eyes on you and knew that I wanted you, I swore that I would kill anyone who dared to hurt you and it turns out that I'm the one whose probably hurt you the most."

Pulling her closer, he continued;

"None of that with Hanson or Landrum was your fault, it was one of those things in life that we can't always help and if I had to do it again to save you, I would."

Inhaling deeply, he sighed in resignation at what he knew was the right thing to do as he stated in a flat voice;

"Stop crying, honey, I can't stand seeing you this unhappy and hurt. I'll call the lawyer and I'll drop the hearing; I can't take those kids away from you. And, if it's what you want, I'll have him draw up the divorce papers and I'll sign them without a fuss. I love you way too much to keep hurting you like this."

He could tell by the way that her body went rigidly still that he had shocked her, so when she pulled back and stared at him the look of disbelief in her eyes he wasn't surprised as she asked quietly;

"You want a divorce?"

Shaking his head ruefully, Lucas admitted;

"No, but if it's what you want then I'll go along with it. I can't stand the idea of hurting you anymore than what I already have. I'll support you and the kids, and if it's what you want, you can have the house. All that I ask is to be allowed to see them and spend time with them."

With that, he rose to his feet and crossed the space to the door. Turning, his hand on the knob, he glanced over his shoulder to look at her evenly as he vowed;

"But there is something that I want you to remember, no matter what, I'll go to my grave still in love with you. There won't ever be another woman for me because no one can or will ever take your place."

With that, Lucas opened the door and left, leaving Dara sitting there in a swirling fog of indecision and confusion as she tried to fathom what she should or should not do at this point. Waiting until he heard the outer office door close, signaling Lucas' departure, Ben quietly approached to push the door open enough to allow him entrance as he asked softly;

"Dara, are you alright?

Ben couldn't help but ache for the sadness he saw on her face as she turned to face him, remaining silent. Deciding that he needed to break his silence, Ben pushed the door closed behind him as he pulled a chair closer before taking a seat as he admitted;

"Dara, I know why you left him."

Her head snapping up in shock, she disbelievingly asked;

"He told you?"

Shaking his head, Ben sighed;

"No."

Leaning forward, he confessed;

"Dara, I was there that night, at the Temple farm. I saw him do it."

Shock registering in her eyes, Dara demanded;

"Ben, what are you saying?"

Taking a deep breath, Ben launched into his explanation;

"Look, I felt the same way then that you do now, but, I also realized something. First; Dara, I know that he's done a lot of reprehensible things and, being honest, you know it too. But, we all make mistakes and the fact that he's tried as hard as he has to change and to be a better man since setting eyes on you, believe me that says a whole lot about the man he is inside. Two; I have to tell you, Gage Temple did a real job with that shovel and Merlyn already had 'issues'. The best case scenario for her was that she would spend her life in a vegetative state, I've wondered if what he did wasn't truly an act of kindness considering what she had already suffered in her life and what else she was looking at suffering. My point is this; I know, maybe a little better than you do, just what he's capable of, but I will tell you this; the fact that he's not forcing you to come back and willing to let you go shows just how much he truly loves you by the fact that he's not trying to do just that, especially considering just how much pain it would save him if he did."

Contemplating his statement for a moment, Dara found her thoughts falling into place. Lucas had been right; she had known when she agreed to marry him who and what he was, but she had also seen the man inside she knew was there and she couldn't deny the fact that he had kept his promises to her as well as becoming a better man in the process. True, he should have told her what could be expected with their children, but, by his admission, he wasn't even certain himself. And, if she were totally honest with herself, she knew that that idea of her life without her husband in it was one that she didn't want to give consideration to. Making her decision, Dara found herself feeling hopeful as she offered a slight smile to Ben before asking;

"Ben, would you please do me a favor if you can?"

Nodding, already guessing what the 'favor' might possibly be, Ben nodded;

"If I can."

Placing her hand on his arm, she requested;

"Please pick Caleb and my babies up and take them to my house by the river and stay with them for a while. I have something that I need to do."

Chucking, Ben ventured;

Would you like me to go ahead and start packing their things for you too?"

Smiling, Dara nodded as she rose from her chair to offer him a quick hug before hurrying out the door. Turning to glance at the photo on the corner of Lucas' desk, Ben shrugged;

"Well, I did my part, Lucas, let's just hope that you do yours."


	35. Chapter 35

**EPILOGUE**

Lucas found himself standing at his front door, the key in his hand, dreading sliding the piece of metal into the lock. Shortly after her arrival, he had sent Mama Lucy back to her own home so the house was now totally empty, save for the memories of the happy sounds of his wife and children filling the rooms with love. He couldn't help but shake his head ruefully as he recalled thinking, just before he had married Dara, just how large, lonely and empty the old house seemed and just how hopeful he was that she would change that feeling to one of love and happiness. Sighing, he slid the key into the lock and let himself inside.

Making his way to the living room, having closed off his bedroom as well as Caleb's room and the nursery in the hopes of not finding himself constantly reminded of their absence. He had taken to sleeping either on the sofa or in one of the guest rooms and, although he felt the pain of her absence each him he glanced at it, he kept a photo of himself and his wife next to wherever he slept. Turning, he stoked the fire in the fireplace back to life before falling into his chair to stare into the flames in the hopes of losing himself there. He wondered if he had finally snapped under the strain of his loneliness for his wife when he heard;

"It seems such a shame to waste a cold night and a warm fire by yourself."

Turning, praying that it wasn't a trick of his mind, he found himself staring in disbelief at the sight of Dara standing in the doorway, wearing the same negligee that she had worn on their wedding night Lucas found himself afraid that he was simply dreaming or hallucinating until she quickly crossed the space to kneel in front of his chair to take his hands in her own as she looked into his eyes as she confessed in a voice of self recrimination;

"I owe you an apology, my love. Even though what you did was wrong, I set myself up as your judge, jury and executioner. While I can't say that I fully understand what you did and I certainly don't condone it, there are a couple of things that I know, without question. First, you have worked very hard to be a better man since the first day that I met you, and, being honest, you were right; I did know who and what you were before when I agreed to marry you and the promises that I asked of you when you asked me, you've kept them to me. I also know that you truly love me; you could have made me forget that I learned and I would never have been the wiser, but you respected and loved me enough not to do that, even though you would have saved yourself a lot of sorrow and pain if you had."

Shaking her head, she admitted;

"And I can't keep you from the children, you're their father and they need you. Besides, you're the only one who can teach them how to control their 'abilities'."

Placing his hand on her cheek as he looked into her eyes, love brimming deep in his own, he offered;

"I do love you, more than my own life, as far as trying to be a better man; that's not hard to do with your love."

Tentatively, Lucas extended his hand to touch the fabric of her gown as he asked haltingly;

"Does this mean what I'd like to hope that it does?"

Biting at her bottom lip, Dara nodded;

"If you want me back, then yes, it does."

His eyes widening in disbelief and shock at her doubt, Lucas smiled ruefully as he exclaimed;

"IF I WANT YOU BACK!"

Grabbing her around her waist, he lifted her to place her in his lap as he buried his head against her neck and savored the scent of her hair and perfume as well as the feel of her in his arms before lifting his head to kiss her deeply as he savored the taste and feel of her. Glancing up, he questioned;

"Would you be offended if I were to take you upstairs and ravish you?"

Unable to keep from smiling at the joy she saw in her husband's face as well as her own happiness at being held in his arms once more, Dara turned serious as she stated;

"I want two promises from you."

Eagerly, Lucas nodded his agreement;

"Whatever you want."

Shaking her head, she admonished;

"Not so fast, you have no idea what I'm going to ask for."

Shaking his head, Lucas stated;

"It doesn't matter, I came too damn close to losing you and I won't EVER risk that again, so whatever you want, you have it."

Sighing as she shook her head, Dara listed;

"First; I know that our children are, more than likely, going to inherit some curious 'abilities', I want them to be taught how to handle them, safely, and how to control them. Secondly; I don't want you to EVER keep anything from me again, intentionally. I promise that I'll be as understanding as possible if you promise me that you'll be honest and open. I expect that you'll keep some things to yourself, that's just human nature, but I don't expect you to try and hide them from me."

Eagerly, Lucas nodded as he vowed;

"You have my word."

Pulling her close to him, he held her as she wrapped her arms around his neck to pull his head down to kiss him. Lifting his head, he closed his eyes in ecstasy as she began unbuttoning his shirt to play her hands over his chest before looking down at her to shake his head as he ground out;

"I'm sorry, darlin, but I can't wait any longer."

With that he rose from his chair with her in his arms. Seeing his indecision, Dara smiled as she offered in a seductive tone;

"The kids aren't here, Ben is going to stay with them for tonight."

Chuckling, Lucas smiled as he praised;

"Good ole Ben."

With that, he lowered her to the rug in front of the fireplace as he began quickly shedding his clothes before gently sliding her gown down her arms to bare her body to his gaze. Enfolding her in his embrace, he found himself satisfied to simply cherish the feel of her in his arms before he began tracing the line of her jaw with his mouth. Pushing her hair aside and seeing the bite marks that he had left on the side of her throat, he searched her eyes and relaxed considerably as she brought her hand up to caress the back of his neck as she offered him a loving smile;

"It's alright, I understand now; that was your way of marking what belongs to you."

Caressing the line of her mouth with his thumb he asked;

"You're not angry anymore?"

He could see by the look of concentration in her eyes that she was searching her true feelings, but he could also see by look of love in their sea green depths that she was also sincere as she ventured;

"I'm still a little resentful, but I think that I can learn to trust you again."

Burying his head against her neck, grateful for whatever had changed her mind, Lucas gently kissed the healing marks on her throat as he lifted his hand to begin tracing the line of her breasts. Placing his mouth against her earlobe, he began trailing a path down her body with his mouth and tongue. Finally, lifting his head he pleaded;

"Darlin, I'm sorry, but I can't wait any longer."

Placing her arms around his neck, she offered;

"It's alright, you don't have to."

Glorying in what he thought had been lost to him forever, Lucas found himself lost in his wife's arms as well as the magic he felt as they came together in both body and spirit. Later, after he had taken the throw from the back of the sofa to cover them, he laid holding Dara close to him as he studied her face, relaxed with her eyes closed and watching the play of the light from the fire bringing to life the dark, burnt ruby color in her hair. Cherishing the feel of her body next to him, Lucas decided that he needed to fully bare his soul to her as he asked carefully;

"Earlier, did you mean what you said about being understanding as long as I was truthful with you?"

Sitting up, clutching the cover to her chest, Dara nodded as she promised;

"Yes, I did. If there's anything else that you want to tell me than I promise that I'll listen and to control my temper."

Placing her hand on his chest, she ventured;

"Lucas, if our marriage is going to work, truly work, we have to be honest with each other, no matter what. I don't want us to ever go through what we've just been through again, especially the children. So whatever you feel you need to tell me, do so without worrying about how I'll react."

Sighing heavily with guilt, he began;

"Alright, there are a couple of things that I need to tell you."

Bracing herself for his revelations, she waiting patiently as she nodded;

"Alright, go ahead."

Dara found herself hard put not to chuckle at the sheepish look he wore as he confessed;

"Do you remember when you were thinking about having the babies christened?"

Nodding, Dara had a fairly accurate guess at to what his revelation was about to be when he spoke;

"You didn't change your mind on your own, I gave you a little 'push'."

The look in her eyes remaining even, Dara asked;

"And just how did you do that?"

A look of pleading in his eyes, he confessed;

"Mama practices a little magic of her own and she brewed up something to help make you drowsy, when you were just about asleep, I put you under and I convinced you that it wasn't what you wanted to do. Between me and the cocoa you were extremely susceptible to suggestion so all that I had to do was to tell you no to remember any of it and that you just didn't want to go through with the christenings."

Her voice calm, Dara asked;

"Is there anything else?"

Finding himself hard put to believe that she was being so accepting, he continued;

"Yes, I knew the night it happened when we conceived Rinie. I swear, I didn't do anything other than what every other man does to impregnate his wife, but I knew that night that you were pregnant."

A mischievous smile coming to her lips, Dara offered;

"Well, I guess that makes us even then."

Puzzled, Lucas demanded;

"What do you mean, darlin?"

Offering a slight giggle, she confessed;

"Don't you think that I realized afterwards that I was pregnant again?"

Blinking in shock, Lucas asked in disbelief;

"You knew?"

Nodding, Dara confirmed;

"About Rinie? Yes, I did."

Turning serious she demanded;

"But why was it so important that the babies not be christened?"

Reluctant at first, but knowing that he needed to be completely honest with her, Lucas explained;

"Because, there has never been a baby with Buck blood flowing through their veins that's been christened. When they get older and are able to make their own decision about it, then, if they choose to, that's fine. But, as babies when it's not their choice it can't be done."

Comprehending his explanation, Dara offered;

"I realize t hat there are a lot of dark secrets that you have and I also know that it's a part of their heritage and legacy, but you have to realize that, just as I'm aware that you'll be teaching them some of these things, that I'll also be teaching them the other side of the coin, so to speak."

Lucas shook his head as he ventured;

"Yes, I knew that the day that we discussed children, but as far as my teaching them anything; no. I'll show them how to control their abilities but I won't push them in any direction, that I promise you."

Narrowing her eyes, Dara brought up another issue;

"By the way, as long as you and I live, don't you EVER trick me like that again. You can tell me the truth, but don't you ever try that again. I know that you did it before and that it was for my benefit and I'm grateful to you for that, but don't you ever do it to deceive me again."

Pulling her close into his embrace, Lucas vowed;

"You have my word on it, I swear."

Laying down and pulling her with him, he allowed her to get comfortable and watched her as she fell asleep. Making up his mind, he decided that he wanted his family complete as he lifted her in his arms and carried her upstairs. Pushing the door to their bedroom open, he settled her in their bed before pulling the covers over her, certain that she was sound asleep, he went to the phone and called Ben.

Waking the next morning, Dara had to orient herself to her surroundings until she remember the night before and sat up to stretch in luxury as she realized that she was in her and Lucas' bed. Hearing the sound of the door opening, she turned to find Lucas entering their room, holding Rinie as he advised;

"I think that someone's ready for their breakfast, Mommy."

Puzzled, Dara demanded;

"How did she get here? I left them with Ben."

Grinning broadly, Lucas admitted;

"I know, but I wanted my family together so I called and asked him to bring them home, we got them all settled while you were sleeping. I've already fed the twins and Caleb's already gone to school."

Dara couldn't help but just stare at him, shocked by his efficiency as she took the baby from him to begin nursing her as Lucas came around to sit on the side of the bed. Placing his hand on her cheek he stated solemnly;

"Dara, I love you more than life myself and if had left me, I wouldn't have wanted to keep living. Promise me that you'll never leave me again."

Returning his gaze with equal sobriety, Dara vowed;

"As long as you keep your promises, then I promise you that nothing short of death will ever separate us. You and these children are my life."

Leaning towards her, careful of the baby, Lucas kissed her deeply. As he pulled back he could clearly remember a day that seemed such a long time ago, when he had first seen a tiny woman struggling with a box twice her size. Since then, he had learned that was how she approached life as well; tackling the challenge head on and, despite the size of the obstacle, she usually overcame it. That included finding something that everyone including himself had thought non-existent; his heart. Disproving his old philosophy about the illusion of free will, although he knew that Dara was meant for him he didn't see it as the illusion of choice, he simply saw it as the fact that whatever is meant for you definitely won't pass you by.


End file.
